tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66829547034868017602024-02-21T05:46:53.529-08:00 Thoughts on feathers<p align="left">Thoughts on Feathers: Art and Biology</p>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-62448024988789677852013-01-18T07:48:00.001-08:002013-01-18T07:48:06.159-08:00Find this blog on my website <h3>
This blog was moved in early 2013 to my website <a href="http://www.featherfolio.com/">www.featherfolio.com</a>. </h3>
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Chris Maynard</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipShFKu3pEDMHKc6GQNQWRn02UYNjlMpm-FKTM9kWyRroFY2Jy9trUXQN08GWJF-tlJCYHVDqi4bO6zfFVUc7Oz4KYAvcDRnIOfNmHce8QrZVaGUWk_Hd5UQw8Gvn_NI_DYRfCUFV1OOVv/s1600/Evening+Ruch+Hour+CloseWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipShFKu3pEDMHKc6GQNQWRn02UYNjlMpm-FKTM9kWyRroFY2Jy9trUXQN08GWJF-tlJCYHVDqi4bO6zfFVUc7Oz4KYAvcDRnIOfNmHce8QrZVaGUWk_Hd5UQw8Gvn_NI_DYRfCUFV1OOVv/s320/Evening+Ruch+Hour+CloseWEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-38635067799760172832012-12-17T09:26:00.001-08:002012-12-17T09:26:15.113-08:00<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7MMlRMZv0kzgNOxwImKoPhTIU4dbrMVlqDCecr32QRXviV9Bsj52T41dUI5lLG9z4lUNEWSx2FtvolZRsGxUoN_mnp7GNySxs4SFh3TIjguXppx2wPfmi_RCVayPH7q0NC6AcoQCXAVl/s1600/Hummingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="hummingbird feather" border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7MMlRMZv0kzgNOxwImKoPhTIU4dbrMVlqDCecr32QRXviV9Bsj52T41dUI5lLG9z4lUNEWSx2FtvolZRsGxUoN_mnp7GNySxs4SFh3TIjguXppx2wPfmi_RCVayPH7q0NC6AcoQCXAVl/s320/Hummingbird.jpg" title="hummingbird feather" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hummingbird feather</td></tr>
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On Sunday I participated in the <a href="http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count" target="_blank">Audubon Society’s annualWinter Bird Count</a>. Each participating
city has a five- mile radius circle where people divide up and count as many
kinds of birds as they can. Being almost the darkest day of the year, at least
in the northern hemisphere, it was cold, windy, and rainy. I thought the birds would, like me, want to
get to a warm cozy place. But then I looked closely and saw that their feathers
were sheltering them. The curved body feathers were fluffed up. They were shedding
the rain, and keeping the wind out. So elegant and cozy. When I went home, I
took off my cumbersome and relatively ineffective clothes--my outdoor feathers.
I sat under the roof inside my house by a warm fire--my indoor feathers. <o:p></o:p></div>
Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-71971530020959775662012-12-02T16:19:00.003-08:002012-12-02T16:19:49.716-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_VtI2i7VW3i5LQfqRRst0KRKw6kaIWzUx2RqUpcZHYRhOaUWmnpw-lqyTCdcOUKRi8ArDsobVNYhG8lqbk9NIEff4rsdqg5Z9-ja2aNhJbeYoId0nD6-ciqyS2_NFag7hB4u4u9BZNmz/s1600/ZeitgeistWEB-fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_VtI2i7VW3i5LQfqRRst0KRKw6kaIWzUx2RqUpcZHYRhOaUWmnpw-lqyTCdcOUKRi8ArDsobVNYhG8lqbk9NIEff4rsdqg5Z9-ja2aNhJbeYoId0nD6-ciqyS2_NFag7hB4u4u9BZNmz/s320/ZeitgeistWEB-fb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
For December, my work will be at <b>Zeitgeist</b> and <b>Row House</b> in Seattle. <div>
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<b><a href="http://rowhousecafe.com/" target="_blank">Row House</a></b> is a cafe/restaurant on Republican by the Amazon Headquarters offices. It is a nice and funky atmosphere and despite the low lighting in places, my work displays nicely there. We hung 25 pieces December first. They will be on display until at least the middle of January. A reception is planned for early January--more about this later once the date is nailed down.</div>
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<b><a href="http://zeitgeistcoffee.com/artist.asp" target="_blank">Zeitgeist</a></b> is in the gallery district downtown Seattle in Pioneer Square on Jackson Street. The artist reception at 6: pm on December 6th coincides with the first Thursday Seattle Arts Walk. Work will be hung December 5th, up to 20 pieces. This show will go until January 2nd.<br /><br /></div>
Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-72760098453118883182012-11-18T13:46:00.001-08:002012-11-18T13:46:27.009-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7MF2_hUThxhacht_epcdnMdroHAaFxUtHUsB_wly5af-ZUHUkbxmpWZqFv85G773dKtBowWl5EeCZhT6tfsSoFwcVDBRQpe0paEwH5TYJaPCwPj-xSnUVK0scKnkjJX13qmffrZEQl1S/s1600/ImpeyanParkPPT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7MF2_hUThxhacht_epcdnMdroHAaFxUtHUsB_wly5af-ZUHUkbxmpWZqFv85G773dKtBowWl5EeCZhT6tfsSoFwcVDBRQpe0paEwH5TYJaPCwPj-xSnUVK0scKnkjJX13qmffrZEQl1S/s320/ImpeyanParkPPT.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>What was any art but an effort to make a sheath, a mould in which to imprison for a moment the shining, elusive element which is life itself -- life hurrying past us and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose? --</i><a href="http://www.willacather.org/" target="_blank">Willa Cather</a> from <i>Song of the Lark (1915).</i></div>
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This was read to us this September by <a href="http://www.robertbateman.ca/" target="_blank">Robert Bateman</a> after the <a href="http://www.lywam.org/birdsinart/" target="_blank">Birds in Art</a> museum show in Wisconsin.</div>
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<i>..."the shining, elusive element which is life itself..." </i> Cather says it best. It is often what I want to capture in my work.<br /><br /></div>
Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-22407910397272307802012-11-11T12:14:00.000-08:002012-11-11T12:14:11.143-08:00<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_9BDptGjmnT39iYjDtgML78ETaQ7vWbCjXM8chSMLhn05INHlZ4v0jAlPC1WYKj14sn6KHWILrIRfVcDa7qY2jzPtikKMS9bYXi8c-E_4eUPD5w2_jUlQM2NYDF0J6EEJs-OLPUpDNnb/s1600/Parakeet+Wings-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_9BDptGjmnT39iYjDtgML78ETaQ7vWbCjXM8chSMLhn05INHlZ4v0jAlPC1WYKj14sn6KHWILrIRfVcDa7qY2jzPtikKMS9bYXi8c-E_4eUPD5w2_jUlQM2NYDF0J6EEJs-OLPUpDNnb/s320/Parakeet+Wings-.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I prefer to use molted feathers that a bird sheds. It’s kind of like recycling. Nevertheless, sometimes people give me their
pet bird that died. Often, an owner who
treasured their bird wants to see the feathers put to use when the bird dies –
as sort of an honor the bird. So I have learned to pluck and do a bit of
taxidermy-type work. It was distasteful
at first, but now I see it as just part of life. So here are the wings of four parakeets. They curve in a beautiful angelic way,
smaller than the palm of my hand. <o:p></o:p></div>
Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-52947188374327921112012-10-22T11:46:00.001-07:002012-10-22T11:46:12.309-07:00Painting on feathers<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhylGkcpGtd8re1L4zlUqNhszuBQxtbqkyP_ZIE23DmNd7YO0DjSz5BZ0iADzo96lfxt_db7H_vWHYjY1ymHvR04D4ceMLk_gOT0sD-equ0_JCSe1SBXuuywvwD6Dkrz4V_lLbLqlAWhiu_/s1600/superior+regaliaCaracara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhylGkcpGtd8re1L4zlUqNhszuBQxtbqkyP_ZIE23DmNd7YO0DjSz5BZ0iADzo96lfxt_db7H_vWHYjY1ymHvR04D4ceMLk_gOT0sD-equ0_JCSe1SBXuuywvwD6Dkrz4V_lLbLqlAWhiu_/s320/superior+regaliaCaracara.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I strive in my art to honor feathers and the birds they came
from. Some talented people paint on them
but it is not something I am drawn to do. That said, I came across a man’s work
that impressed me. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/superiorregalia" target="_blank">Super Regalia</a>. He paints mostly to imitate feathers that are
otherwise illegal to have—like hawks and eagles; or painted to look like rare and hard
to find feathers like the tails of Red-tail Black Cockatoos. These feathers caught my eye because it is
hard to tell them apart from the real thing. He sells them and uses them in
Native regalia—fans, bustles, and such. <o:p></o:p></div>
Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-84391202840478051652012-10-08T14:19:00.002-07:002012-10-08T15:19:53.054-07:00Feath, Feather, Feathest<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi227jzbhD6IGHLiSNyBgozXkDWZmRwcXOndghte65zlNiE2VLiD367CRFABkAoPS-Mfd-b3i028YpZB2x0xSNg9z6FvgdJeLazORtv33tCaP871onGf1PuodVj9WHvFLZH9ESsfZnuwo3W/s1600/macaw+feather+growing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi227jzbhD6IGHLiSNyBgozXkDWZmRwcXOndghte65zlNiE2VLiD367CRFABkAoPS-Mfd-b3i028YpZB2x0xSNg9z6FvgdJeLazORtv33tCaP871onGf1PuodVj9WHvFLZH9ESsfZnuwo3W/s320/macaw+feather+growing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
saw a <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/humor/issuecartoons/2012/09/10/cartoons_20120903#slide=2" target="_blank">cartoon in the New Yorker</a> with three different pictures of Jupiter with a
caption under each, “Jupit”, “Jupiter”, “Jupitest”. Which got me to thinking about a piece entitled
“Feath, Feather, Feathest”. Once in a while
an aviary bird dies in mid-molt, when its feathers are still growing and the
owner gives me the dead bird. This just
happened with a Scarlet Macaw. Its full
grown <b><i>feather</i></b> would have been 20 inches or so long. But this partly grown <b><i>feath</i></b> is just 7
inches. When I take a full grown tail
and cut some flying macaws out, it will become <b><i>feathest</i></b>.</span><br />
<br />Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-51597050832053668832012-09-28T22:56:00.002-07:002012-09-28T22:56:42.898-07:00<h4>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://artswalkolympia.com/" target="_blank">Olympia Fall Arts Walk</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">October fifth, 5:- 10:pm </span><span style="font-size: large;">October sixth, 12 noon to 5:pm</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWy1V5Ljt8LJHpnFbqvqtGbSbvx9rAIGADYoAJ1No-CN2WcqaihlZxqpxAhZ2UhlERyLhQ_8W8N_frcIDtaej1W29fGBWEkEjiyiT_CglunsFOFQQSHd8EtRbgvOt5DzzoxN0JPdgdUeaF/s1600/peacock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chris maynard, feather art - peacock" border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWy1V5Ljt8LJHpnFbqvqtGbSbvx9rAIGADYoAJ1No-CN2WcqaihlZxqpxAhZ2UhlERyLhQ_8W8N_frcIDtaej1W29fGBWEkEjiyiT_CglunsFOFQQSHd8EtRbgvOt5DzzoxN0JPdgdUeaF/s400/peacock.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.yogaloft.biz/" target="_blank">Yoga Loft</a> </span>is a large, beautifully sparse space. I am excited to show about feather shadowboxes there, more than I have ever hung at once. They go up Sunday night, October 1st. Prints of my work will also be available for purchase. See you there!</h4>
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219 Legion Way--Near Capital Lake</h4>
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<br />Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-83493987056657849052012-09-10T11:40:00.000-07:002012-09-10T11:40:19.364-07:00<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8u9O_CS-t9VsuR5H7PQadrofgBWbeNKN1u4Gxc4KLKjw6edWGCjW1ffqKT4RZIXlyYaMbUsEZAWWi8EYwfWNBjOBlqx9u3dBf1gXkXNicFRf8CnRxV-Lvi6UY7x9Q9u7MBMc38SmNRim/s1600/Chris+Maynard+Robert+BatemanCroppedWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8u9O_CS-t9VsuR5H7PQadrofgBWbeNKN1u4Gxc4KLKjw6edWGCjW1ffqKT4RZIXlyYaMbUsEZAWWi8EYwfWNBjOBlqx9u3dBf1gXkXNicFRf8CnRxV-Lvi6UY7x9Q9u7MBMc38SmNRim/s320/Chris+Maynard+Robert+BatemanCroppedWEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The<a href="http://www.lywam.org/birdsinart/" target="_blank"> Birds in Art show</a> in Wausau Wisconsin was spectacular, go if you can. That town treats artists well and attracts talented
and devoted artists who paint, sculpt, and in other ways visually honor birds. As you might imagine, people
were interested in my work because they had never seen feathers used in the way I do. I in turn, met many excellent
artists and have new ideas for pieces that I can’t wait to begin. <a href="http://www.robertbateman.ca/index.html" target="_blank">Robert Bateman</a>
is a Canadian artist who paints the natural world. He is starting an environmental education
center in Victoria B.C. with a gallery that I hope to exhibit in one day—if I
can successfully negotiate the legalities of importing and exporting the
feathers contained in my works. <o:p></o:p></div>
Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-58747054961591737312012-08-27T10:40:00.000-07:002012-08-27T10:40:47.619-07:00<br />
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I just returned from a week long artist business boot-camp
in Port Townsend. The program is called
‘EDGE Professional Development’ sponsored by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/I%20just%20returned%20from%20a%20week%20long%20artist%20business%20boot-camp%20in%20Port%20Townsend.%20%20The%20program%20is%20called%20%E2%80%98EDGE%20Professional%20Development%E2%80%99%20sponsored%20by%20Washington%20Artist%E2%80%99s%20Trust%20[http://www.artisttrust.org/].%20%20Fifteen%20of%20us%20were%20selected%20from%20around%20the%20state%20but%20only%20three%20of%20us%20were%20men.%20%20I%20felt%20right%20at%20home%20having%20been%20far%20outnumbered%20by%20a%20lot%20of%20sisters.%20%20I%20will%20have%20the%20opportunity%20to%20collaborate%20on%20both%20joint%20shows%20with%20some%20of%20these%20artists%20and%20work%20together%20creating%20artworks%20with%20feathers%20and%20other%20mediums.%20%20Artist%20Trust%20offers%20support%20to%20artists%20in%20many%20ways:%20grants,%20professional%20development,%20opportunities%20like%20shows,%20connection%20with%20other%20artists,%20and%20fellowships%20and%20grants.%20%20And%20not%20just%20visual%20artists%20like%20me%20but%20writers%20and%20performing%20artists." target="_blank">Washington Artist’s Trust</a>. Fifteen of us were selected from around the
state but only three of us were men. I
felt right at home having been far outnumbered by a lot of sisters. One benefit of this boot camp is to have the opportunity to collaborate on joint shows with some of these artists as well as work together creating artworks
with feathers and other mediums. For instance,<a href="http://www.karamcghee.com/internal.php?lib=fineart&galleryid=29" target="_blank"> Kara McGhee </a>paints realistic birds sometimes using interesting lighting effects so a joint show makes sense. <a href="http://www.lauriefronekart.com/" target="_blank">Laurie Fronek</a> 'draws' in 3-d wire sculpture and there may be an opportunity to collaborate on a 'wire-feather' piece.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Artist Trust offers support to artists in many ways: grants,
professional development, opportunities like shows, connection with other
artists, and fellowships and grants. And
not just visual artists like me but writers and performing artists.<o:p></o:p></div>
Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-37650138365115517542012-08-12T11:25:00.000-07:002012-08-12T12:01:40.917-07:00Swallows in Flight #1<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNxndXQik5fNoNeyVciMotXl-3KAu99GjUg-zyzEVqu7nU71EpuqzeBrOtLI6WpWxZY7m7v0ExyiKdW6z6SUOOK6sEnyDW7OVi9WJ-Qt9oz9jv9XLedQDT74mQ4mNTHd_hT47xVUBDiBA/s1600/Roller-WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNxndXQik5fNoNeyVciMotXl-3KAu99GjUg-zyzEVqu7nU71EpuqzeBrOtLI6WpWxZY7m7v0ExyiKdW6z6SUOOK6sEnyDW7OVi9WJ-Qt9oz9jv9XLedQDT74mQ4mNTHd_hT47xVUBDiBA/s320/Roller-WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a>I love watching the barn swallows fly and will be sad when
they leave in September. I made this
piece in their honor. They make their
home in my barn and I get to watch their young grow up although a local Merlin
falcon has been having its way with a few.
The feathers in this piece are from the wing of a Lilac Breasted Roller.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The strikingly colored Lilac Breasted Rollers live in
Sub-Sahara Africa. Their form is close
to barn swallows in silhouette—with the forked tail. I started out drawing silhouettes of the
Lilac Breasted Rollers in flight but ended up with swallow shapes since I am
closer to these birds. In the piece, I
wanted to highlight the blues of the sky from where the swallows swoop, eat,
socialize, catch airborne feathers for their nests, mate, drink from my
sprinkler, and frolic. The small size
of the feathers and hence the cutouts was a challenge.<o:p></o:p></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-3369236166319427092012-07-30T08:15:00.000-07:002012-07-30T08:15:44.072-07:00Birds in Art<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlswDeBXbFLYffvRuUN0tyihHtxg6PHZOlyoUfRhhOH9HoB7rIFzcgfQaebNcsyVzNiyv07hI5BTfhIsr092mPw4X_8WfgCV-Px6yN5rD4xPEiyupKhV0iU752GF0inb3fuWke4P-iRAVh/s1600/Reflection2WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlswDeBXbFLYffvRuUN0tyihHtxg6PHZOlyoUfRhhOH9HoB7rIFzcgfQaebNcsyVzNiyv07hI5BTfhIsr092mPw4X_8WfgCV-Px6yN5rD4xPEiyupKhV0iU752GF0inb3fuWke4P-iRAVh/s320/Reflection2WEB.jpg" width="206" /></a>A piece of mine was accepted in the <a href="http://www.lywam.org/birdsinart/" target="_blank">2012 Birds in Art</a> show, put on by the Leigh Yawley Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin. Each year they put out a nice full color
catalog with accepted artists’ works from all over the world. An Olympia artist, Judy Smith gave me several
of the previous year’s catalogs where I
gleaned several ideas for new pieces, one of which I pursued. One piece that gave me the idea for a new
piece was a sculpture by <a href="http://johnrichensculpture.com/homepage.htm%20%20artminded2000@cox.net" target="_blank">John Richen</a> titled <i>Symphonic Flight</i>. It is
bronze and stainless steel and sort of looks like two feathers but one looks
more like a bird in flight with some wind added. It set me to thinking. Just the shape of a flight feather suggests
movement. Since I strive to honor the
qualities of the feathers I work with, I used a pair of matching flight
feathers set as dual images and kept one uncut, whole. The other I subtracted bits and pieces and
ended up with the feathers shape but with a lot of connected bird shapes in
flight. This may be the beginning of a series. <o:p></o:p></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-62523512861339156762012-07-16T10:14:00.000-07:002012-07-16T10:14:05.508-07:00Many Eagle Feathers<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MZ8I35unMgkSOhG_nze3nOfn_Un0uLuhWMyVvvaTOgEaw74YSRP5kf2jdbweTQVhfQTKD3zEMumIBQhulNj6iWqcTAzckbrVlNNatGtvakpJ9ZoY3N_zkrEJdelFfQJVxjk5WiTBOYeK/s1600/feathercircle6WEB1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MZ8I35unMgkSOhG_nze3nOfn_Un0uLuhWMyVvvaTOgEaw74YSRP5kf2jdbweTQVhfQTKD3zEMumIBQhulNj6iWqcTAzckbrVlNNatGtvakpJ9ZoY3N_zkrEJdelFfQJVxjk5WiTBOYeK/s320/feathercircle6WEB1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eagle flight feathers<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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In just one mile on a remote Washington beach laid all these
and more eagle feathers. They were sitting
on the sand and mixed in the drift at the high tide mark. After being arranged in a circle, the
tide redistributed them up and down the beach where they now lie.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Curiously, almost all of these feathers were from the tips of the
wings, the primaries. These birds more
or less shed only two matching feathers at a time, one from each side. Most small birds start their molt in the
middle of the wing and proceed outward over a few months until growth is
complete. Larger birds like the eagle
may take several years since it is harder for them to fly with even one feather
shed from each wing. I wonder where all
these feathers came from since I only saw about half a dozen eagles all day.<o:p></o:p></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-39813867234751251812012-07-01T20:31:00.000-07:002012-07-01T20:31:21.641-07:00Warm Feathers<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1218954907"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0F0NzLnJYigI8M6_BMtaRQDm_sxrPRMZhSlfCSwt6hRlRma4Kbhb1qSrn0R8aRvbuTx2yyQIV5mndydV-XvcqoBf1wj7khA9o1ZksSds1vk8_BAp84m0GVJgtgXFuGO6wRqJfsr5qhEMo/s320/Goose+Growing+Feathers1.jpg" width="256" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Growing Goose Feathers are warm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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My geese are molting their feathers. Unlike most birds, geese and other kinds
of waterfowl shed their feathers all at once.
So now, the goose feathers are strewn all around my field. Sometimes my geese get out which is where they were when I got home this afternoon. As I herded them back into the field, I
caught one to see how its feathers were growing back in. When I grabbed the bird, it felt warm as they
always do since their temperature is 6 or 7 degrees warmer than ours. What surprised me was that the growing
feathers were just as warm. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had never felt warm feathers. But it isn’t really so surprising when you
know that the growing feathers are heavily supplied by blood. So much that if I cut the bigger goose
feathers off at the shaft, the bird could bleed to death. So this is a time of their lives that try to
treat themselves more gently until the feathers are fully grown. <o:p></o:p></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-55949995716576710392012-06-18T09:52:00.001-07:002012-06-18T09:52:17.989-07:00Feathers for the Swallows<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_185009912"><img alt="dead swallow and goose feather" border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJP1q3x61CI1QTGq5V4BOb-Y4Gv7zXZmPZZw52SzbC9B0Vz5WPN0HmrM9ndV_I85N0b02-PN7FEu2xqhvf0FrDhFv0g5J0LfMN8jk3yX9uUPOnOKkcF55LO-F_YZJGZp1eHyOI5y6pEIy/s320/swallow2-deadWEB.jpg" title="Swallow and feather" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://featherfolio.com/" target="_blank">Violet-green swallow on a big feather that he may have carried up to feather his nest if he hadn't crashed into a window.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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A huge bag of goose feathers stands by my front door for the
swallows. They use them to line their
nests. When the swallows arrive in
spring migration, they begin to build the nests and are on the lookout for
materials. In May and June, if it isn’t
raining, I grab a handful of goose feathers from the bag every time I go
outside. Feathers scattered on the
ground attracts barn, violet green, and tree swallows. But they prefer to catch floating airborne
feathers rather than swooping down face-first to grab them off the earth. So I blow feathers from a ten-foot plastic
pipe into the air for the birds to snap up.
The birds soon learn what I am up to when I pick up the pipe: they fly
around and around, waiting for a feather to come out. I notice that from the beginning to the end
of the season, their feather catching skills improve. They learn to grab them by the fluff at the
front of the shaft and fly with them curved underneath their bodies. So I give them bigger and bigger feathers, even larger than the ridiculously large size of the feather pictured under this poor bird
that crashed into a friend’s window. <o:p></o:p></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-54794610140413463942012-06-04T13:29:00.000-07:002012-06-04T13:31:56.991-07:00Why Feathers Are Curved Part 2<br />
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Flight. </div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1723933450"><img alt="argus pheasant feathers" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKKBon8jgVJH-dD-paqEIJrVc9EYZYJn5osdiFtcVi4f0mxDwyFOA1O7O3u6vMSJAPCosGN4TjZWf2OXFnU0UdC17hymU9ceu-F0W5_zg_eFluEWucT_qQ8pbH_kXG-UpIJgKqlK9fT1e/s320/Argus3FlightFrameWEB1.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www%2Cfeatherfolio.com/" target="_blank">Great Argus Pheasant wing tip feathers</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A mix of side-to-side and front to back curve feather curve lets each
kind of bird fly in their own special way.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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How a feather shaft is shaped depends on what type of flight
is important: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>quick but short bursts of flight like seen in
pheasants and a lot of songbirds. The first primary flight feathers of these
birds are super-curved from side to side but not so much front to back. This makes for a quick lift-off. Think of a forest grouse that explodes off
the ground, usually scaring the bejeezus out of anyone close by. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>soaring flight like vultures and eagles. The
main flight feathers have some front to back curve or camber. My sister showed me a huge Wood Stork primary
feather from Tanzania that had so much front to back arc camber that five of
them would make a full circle. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>Fast flyers like swallows, ducks, and falcons or
gliders like seagulls. Their feathers
usually have less curve both side to side and front to back. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
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Other aspects of wing flight feathers like their shapes let
them do what they do in flight. Which is
a good subject for an upcoming series of blog articles: shapes of feathers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is way more to flight feather curves than what I have
outlined here. A good source to start
with is the 2010 book, <i><a href="http://sdavidscott.com/index.php?p=1_4_Bird-Feathers-A-Guide-to-North-American-Species" target="_blank">Bird Feathers: AGuide to North American Species</a></i> by David Scott. <o:p></o:p></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-60219257457597701062012-05-20T16:36:00.001-07:002012-05-20T16:38:44.840-07:00Why Feathers are Curved. Part one.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.featherfolio.com/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XFcMkB3Zk_FJF4dFpTDb0wnNRSdSa_HMf1EyF4EOyj77q8QyTiiBPmlSFoPcamfJNv3GpNM6TURzNGDwiKy1dU3wvtqc1KPkEjghOZRLhpg-qrsvv_4t_Yyvj5Q1holeHeKA3DWzP0ui/s320/feather.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">floating goose body feather</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<b>Why the shaft of feathers are curved. Part one.</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Most feathers have some curve to their shafts. One of the reasons is for warmth. A front to back bend on a body feather serves to control a bird's temperature. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Feather curves are the main reason I use shadowboxes rather
than trying to make the feathers lie flat.
I want to honor their natural shapes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The most consistently and intensely curved feathers I know of
are the body feathers from waterfowl. Many of the body feathers on a swan are so inwardly curved that it takes only two to
make a complete circle. On most birds,
the curve allows a larger air space between the body and the elements. It’s like the wider the insulation is in your
house or the thicker the layers of your clothing is, the warmer you are. A neat thing about birds though is they can
control how thick the air layer is.
Through muscle-feather control they can flatten the flexible shafts,
pushing them next to their body. Or they
can fluff themselves by letting their feathers naturally curl to their max like
you see songbirds do on a cold winter day. I wish I could do that with my clothes.<o:p></o:p></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-24364737515764431402012-05-06T15:29:00.000-07:002012-05-08T12:56:57.264-07:00Swans and their Feathers<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1997552709"><img alt="Mute Swan Feather Assemblage Cutouts Art" border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkSHy7nQB66Qw-Vhu2pRtY7tyTc35ib8SFcBFjYXfWxKC8w9DuZjnvq0gCSbOMzAdZ5R9Bhu59l8nyZgAEiu9fzyvRvj_kSt72lkOIaaC2GMo84g9m_q5QZZbdTvuJKEHOS7ofLzZ4jJt/s400/Swans+WEB.jpg" title="Mute Swan Feather Cutouts" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.featherfolio.com/" target="_blank">Swan Feather cutouts --mute swan</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Someone actually counted every feather on a swan and came to
the conclusion that they have more feathers than any other bird on earth. I’m not sure that is true although it is the generally
accepted or at least most widely quoted figure:
24,000. Take the numerous outer
feathers away on a bird like this and you have essentially a long underwear-like layer of soft down
feathers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Everyone knows a swan is all white. The all-white swan is beautiful and often
triggers notions of the meaning of white, like purity and angels. But white feathers are weaker and less
durable than black ones. Why? It has to
do with the protein melanin, the same stuff that makes light-skinned people tan
and gives some people freckles. Melanin
in feathers strengthens them against wear and also makes them black or reddish
brown. Many large birds need their
primary flight feathers to last a long time.
A lot of mostly-white birds have black feathers where they need the
strength and durability—in the flight feathers. White pelicans, snow geese,,
white stork, wood stork, and many seagulls are mostly white except for their
primary flight feathers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So then why is the Black Swan from Australia is all black
except the tips of the wings white? I
don’t know for sure but assume that it’s because swans just keep their wings
folded in when they feed, so except for flying, they don’t have to worry as much as
other birds about wear and tear on their wing feathers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been working a little with Martha Jordan of the <a href="http://trumpeterswansociety.wordpress.com/tag/martha-jordan/" target="_blank">Trumpeter Swan Society</a> whose work includes rehabilitating, protecting, and
reintroducing Tundra Swans. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-86063088768305778822012-04-22T15:51:00.001-07:002012-04-22T15:56:31.280-07:00<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDlmtEIVRSpFEaGP2zbgx_yqfK_BCNcHJ9gZ1lQe6KYpv9tUBbSh1cO7fUmC2koeqRfxYV5voxhLI9OnfJrDeamojCiiiVsGr_k6G54Tdeqa1oVW8ct-udSniQfQD-FME9KX3rn3WEto6/s1600/F3-4-mikado-copper-elliots-pheasant-feather-design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDlmtEIVRSpFEaGP2zbgx_yqfK_BCNcHJ9gZ1lQe6KYpv9tUBbSh1cO7fUmC2koeqRfxYV5voxhLI9OnfJrDeamojCiiiVsGr_k6G54Tdeqa1oVW8ct-udSniQfQD-FME9KX3rn3WEto6/s320/F3-4-mikado-copper-elliots-pheasant-feather-design.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinese Ring-Neck, Mikado, Copper, Elliots, Reeves</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.featherfolio.com/" target="_blank">55 Kinds of Pheasants and their feathers</a></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The world has fifty five species of pheasants, almost all from
Asia. One of the great things about
these large birds is that the male of each species grows at least four different
interesting types of feathers. And half
of the males and females grow totally differently colored and patterned
feathers. Let me see, that’s over 300
interesting different kinds of feathers to work with! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are two more reasons why feathers from these birds are
great. First, the males use feather
size, pattern, form, shape, and color to attract their mates. Second, pheasants are large, so their feathers
are big and showy. Here are a few: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>Long-tail pheasants have long tails – like the
ringneck pheasants people hunt and also pure black and white stripes tails from
Mikados that live only in Taiwan, and a Copper that live only in Japan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>Peacock pheasants are perhaps an ancestor of the
peacock but a lot smaller and with
bright round eyes on their tails<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>Tragopans have little round spots all over, some
are a bright red with round white spots and one is black with round white
spots. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>Junglefowl are the ancestors of chickens<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>Three species of peacocks, the Java Green, the
India, and the Congo which looks a lot different and is the only pheasant
originating outside Asia. It is from
Africa.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had a male Impeyan Pheasant, a stocky species that lives
high in the Himalayas. It escaped my
cage one day and flew into a neighbor’s grass hay field 1/3 mile away. A normally colored bird would disappear, blending
in with the deep grass and I never would have found it. But the Impeyan’s brilliant metallic feathers
showed like a beacon. I imagine that
this bird’s metallic and reflective feathers led to the demise of many of its
kind. So its advantages of attracting
mates must outweigh this major disadvantage. <o:p></o:p></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-1074885165329177722012-04-09T09:12:00.000-07:002012-04-09T09:12:32.638-07:00The Most Beautiful Bird on Earth<br />
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj38WjzLZ-GTe0TymmYItLhA9BtHMdGCkqVR2FwWOXATm1qdmbqM8BL-W5NA7XkIdoQK39PJpgxjmMXF1B9QOjB7S3SUd15_-x_HrDq8uCQst_N-w1rZki1eEKkV62P4ep699CySlrm3UJ/s1600/feather-alphabet-numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj38WjzLZ-GTe0TymmYItLhA9BtHMdGCkqVR2FwWOXATm1qdmbqM8BL-W5NA7XkIdoQK39PJpgxjmMXF1B9QOjB7S3SUd15_-x_HrDq8uCQst_N-w1rZki1eEKkV62P4ep699CySlrm3UJ/s320/feather-alphabet-numbers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Number patterns 0-9 found on Argus Pheasant feathers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not the color; it’s the patterns on the feathers that
make this peacock-sized bird so awesome.
How can a bird that grows only
black, white and brown feathers be so attractive? It’s because the patterns vary so much. The bird sports eyes on some of its wing
feathers that look exactly like the eye spots on some moths. And there’s not only one or two eyes on each
feather but 10 or more! At 30 inches
long, these impress me as the most wondrous feathers on earth. The female wing feathers show reticulated
markings like Arabic writing. The male’s
five-foot black and white spotted tail feathers, of which the bird grows only
two, twist curiously into spirals at the tips.
Even the feathers under the tail differ in unique patterns and sizes. The longest 13-inch top ones grow downy
filaments half-way up the shaft and then turn into yellow-brown top feather
with large black spots. Then under the
tail and with the same markings as the tail, are feathers that look like
Ping-Pong paddles cut in half but grow up to 18 inches long. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was in my early 20s, I worked on a family friend’s
grape vineyard during Spring Breaks.
They kept a few large Argus wing
feathers displayed in a jar on their counter.
I think I can trace an increase in my obsession with feathers back to
those. Now, a good portion of my work
with feathers is with the Great Argus Pheasant.
I’ve made an alphabet just from the patterns in the different feathers
of the Argus pheasant. Actually, there
were so many patterns I discovered, that I had to decide between at least three
choices of each letter for which one to include in the alphabet poster. Here is a two-minute <a href="http://www.arkive.org/great-argus/argusianus-argus/video-09.html" target="_blank">Argus Pheasant video</a> (on ARKive) so you can get to know the bird<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, I admit, peacocks are equally beautiful in a different
way. But they much more common and therefore
can sometimes seem a bit, well, too common for use in artwork, though I do and
I love them. <o:p></o:p></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-89616638089423252422012-03-25T12:28:00.000-07:002012-03-25T12:28:44.834-07:00Keeping Feathers and the Law<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zJS_3d0AZw9KgKa21gjgbb7RyAZ0-lEFwlUmb3vdBxL386sE2sLRIqYhHfQX4xwvkHP5QlZ_hzWKU4nsB0j1q-sDqsKxPGF3Qn99nFoLRYkewG4NP6jAUN6uD9ePZYkkss-x-bOby8Xv/s1600/EasternBlueJay_onSeeds4+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zJS_3d0AZw9KgKa21gjgbb7RyAZ0-lEFwlUmb3vdBxL386sE2sLRIqYhHfQX4xwvkHP5QlZ_hzWKU4nsB0j1q-sDqsKxPGF3Qn99nFoLRYkewG4NP6jAUN6uD9ePZYkkss-x-bOby8Xv/s320/EasternBlueJay_onSeeds4+WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a>It surprises most people when they find out that it is illegal to pick up or have even a Jay feather. Why? The main law in the USA is the Migratory Bird Act. The Act doesn’t make a difference between picking up a molted feather and shooting a bird for its feathers. The Act is a broad brush tool , easier to enforce when someone is found with a feather rather than having to prove they killed a bird. It is not easy or possible to tell the difference between a feather from a road-killed bird from one that was shot or trapped. However, a molted feather should now days be easy to distinguish from a plucked feather by looking at it under a microscope. I think it would be nice if there was an exception for molted feathers from songbirds – but not to sell them. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, having any feather from almost every bird in North America is illegal. Crows, pigeons, starlings and game birds being the exceptions. That's why I started out my feather obsession just photographing feathers. That way I didn’t need to have them. Since now I work more directly with feathers in shadowboxes, I just make sure that the feathers I get are either not from birds native to the USA or are from the few kinds in my country that I can use. Fortunately for me, some of the most beautifully feathered birds are not migratory and are kept in private aviaries and zoos and these birds naturally shed their feathers each year. I even raise a couple pairs of my own: Impeyan Pheasants, native to Nepal and Black Francolins, native to Pakistan.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-14713356195274485522012-03-13T19:47:00.001-07:002012-03-13T19:52:12.274-07:00The creative process: On to completion<div class="MsoNormal">Each of my pieces, after conception, goes through a careful series of six steps before it is completed: </div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b>Obtain feathers. </b>Which can takes years. I like molted feathers rather than from aviary birds that have died. I am fortunate to have a dedicated group of people who take the time to pick the feathers up and send them to me. Some feathers are harder to come by than others. Also I have to pay close attention to the laws about which feathers are legal to have and to sell in artwork.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-KZbFYPcr9GzmiyuzffegQUxyUQuaaI93CAxZBwmxPNeleFu4yhV_6cF8TpSP7PsLuIWPq-PcB3xA9-UDPM-vmwQwWrOaBH6Hf4CnxQN62MgJ6PoIcl_vPwJ29ywAR8rlrkkNuyy9h_s/s1600/YinYank2WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-KZbFYPcr9GzmiyuzffegQUxyUQuaaI93CAxZBwmxPNeleFu4yhV_6cF8TpSP7PsLuIWPq-PcB3xA9-UDPM-vmwQwWrOaBH6Hf4CnxQN62MgJ6PoIcl_vPwJ29ywAR8rlrkkNuyy9h_s/s320/YinYank2WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a>2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b>Select feathers. </b>By far the most time-consuming part. Damaged plumes are not usable and often, the majority of feathers I get are in some way damaged. Each bird’s say 10,000 feathers are of all different sizes and colors and I need the exact right size, pattern, and color. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b>Prepare the feathers. </b>The feathers in good shape get washed and sanitized. Each feather gets preened, kind of like the bird does it to make sure the barbs are all interlocking. Most body feathers have a little plume called an aftershaft which I usually, but not always remove. Shafts may need a little cleaning. The cutout feathers are backed with an archival paper; then I cut out the shapes with a small surgical knife blade. I find the much used exacto-knife blades unsuitable. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b>Design the layout. </b>This happens throughout the process but it helps to have the feathers ready in hand to get a feel for the dimensions. Not all concepts fit the most common dimensions I use 11x14” and 16x20”so I create larger custom sizes. I am pretty much a stickler for being exact, following well-proven design space relationships in my arrangements. I mark the places on the piece exactly where each feathers will lay.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b>Make the background. </b>Involves selecting and mounting the right paper or color wash. Often white is perfect for highlighting the feathers. If not, it is a a matter of what color, texture, and pattern brings out the qualities I am trying to emphasize in the feather. It has to be subtle not to overpower the feathers. Virginia Sarsfield, papermaker in Maine will make feather-paper if I send her some feathers. A family business in India, Under the Sun, has a small selection of papers that I like. I even used wasp nest this year to make my own paper but the wasps really did most of the work..<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b>Mount the feathers. </b>This is the second most time-consuming part. I abhor laying naturally curving feathers flat on a board. Their form must be arranged to rise from the background in a natural curl. I mark the exact place where each feather gets placed. Cutouts are glued onto tiny pins, inserted and glued onto the background; feathers inserted shaft-first into the background; or whole or partial feathers glued or pinned according to what is needed.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Finished shadowbox pieces are much sturdier than they look although they need protection from bumps with a good frame. <o:p></o:p></div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-34052596904979306712012-02-26T22:09:00.002-08:002012-02-26T23:10:18.176-08:00Artist creative process: Conception and inspiration.<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #17365d;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #17365d;"></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2007249842" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TBmmhk07EkzS17DA2gReOp1_oIEYyo3fHhip4qONo53aJU4qJb5m3j8_fPkkoMwxrID8y_CGUGFH0hNQhbQTuShnBXyCvtnpT3uzOjd2QvruCh7mF8OA5Jwz1D7Jq3cWFlY5rD1Lqy91/s320/F8-1-gang-gang-cockatoo-crest-feather.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://featherfolio.com/" target="_blank">Gang Gang Cockatoo Crest Feather</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #17365d;"> <span style="color: #cccccc;">Inspiration comes for me, from at least fivesources: </span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="color: #cccccc; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Out-of-the-blue</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: #cccccc; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>From feathers</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: #cccccc; text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>From birds</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: #cccccc; text-indent: -0.25in;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Concepts and meaning</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="color: #cccccc; text-indent: -0.25in;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>From other people.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">I can sit down with a pen and paper and roughly sketch out ideas from <b style="color: #93c47d;">out of the blue</b> for at least ten pieces in an hour. Notebooks full of new ideas sit on my bookcase. Maybe half of the ideas have potential and one comes to fruition. This low ratio is because there is only so much time, some ideas are just unworkable, and some need more development. Well, all need more development and the final piece may end up quite different from the original idea.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">But if I sit down with a pen and paper with<span style="color: #9fc5e8;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">feathers</span> </b>in hand, ideas come much faster and they are better. The curve of a shaft as well as the shape and size are primary factors in the designing. The Capercaillie, the largest of the world’s grouse that lives from Siberia to Scotland, has large flank feathers that half twist down the shaft in a lovely sort of way. Playing with two matching feathers, I noticed that they fit together like the two halves of a tennis ball: they made sort of a sphere.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">What <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">birds</span> </b>do and how they look also assist me. The way a male golden pheasants bright orange triangular neck cape coils forward when it displays is sort of a golden spiral. Woodpeckers peck. Pigeons sit on wires. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="color: #93c47d;">Concepts and meaning</b>. Take crows for example. They are loud, live amongst us and we know them…sort of; they are social, and fly. These things can communicate strong meaning. Their black feathers lend themselves to stark expression. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cccccc;">Inspiration from<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <span style="color: #93c47d;">other people</span>.</b> Since ideas and inventions are built on older ones, I draw inspiration from others' work--like M.C.Escher’s themes for instance. When I wanted to express the general idea of change and transformation which he seemed captivated with, the kind of feather I found didn’t matter too much. So the one I used, from a Demoiselle Crane, ended up informing the size and background of the finished piece.</div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-67564604715715174772012-02-13T15:37:00.000-08:002012-02-13T15:37:52.924-08:00How to Destroy a Feather<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGHrbIp5Iz_fTSq84jpPgtWVjN4U-noiRy7dMVvLxAq0_1dqhGHkagFnKWcaxUNOY9K5kKK_i2M5fc0F18TRyaz3_chb_NNUzoq9tnQcLMwUJevpr_6If5tTpQp-45exYTpGCakZNLv-l/s1600/ShelterBLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGHrbIp5Iz_fTSq84jpPgtWVjN4U-noiRy7dMVvLxAq0_1dqhGHkagFnKWcaxUNOY9K5kKK_i2M5fc0F18TRyaz3_chb_NNUzoq9tnQcLMwUJevpr_6If5tTpQp-45exYTpGCakZNLv-l/s320/ShelterBLOG.jpg" width="254" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you are a bird, your feathers are only alive and supplied by blood when they are growing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once fully formed, the feathers are clinically dead and the process of decay begins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately feathers are mostly pretty tough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One type of feather function is meant for decay: powder-down. This tiny type of down feather is always converting the tips into fine powder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The purpose of these feathers are to be spread when a bird preens where the powder soaks up grime and waterproofs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kind of like what some of the conditioning products do that we put in our hair.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Otherwise, only when the feather cells die are they ready to perform the function of flight, warmth, protection,, waterproofing, and display.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Feathers begin wearing down immediately after they are grown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As this process goes on, it can change the bird’s appearance. Male goldfinches for instance, look quite different at the beginning of the breeding season and the end simply because the colorful tips of the feathers have worn down.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Birds try to slow down the process of decay so they can look good and function well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They preen to arrange their feathers to keep warm and fly well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They take dust baths to slow down feather-eating mites.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When feathers are shed, they keep their structure for a little while at least, until they decompose, are eaten by bugs, and become dirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How do birds throw out their old feathers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On schedule. Except for a few birds, they don’t shed all at once or they couldn’t fly or keep warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They shed once or twice a year in a pattern to let new feathers grow in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More about this later in another post.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6682954703486801760.post-82606795784382400322012-01-29T14:14:00.000-08:002012-01-29T14:14:10.195-08:00How to Make a Feather<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzc8-QIoLNCZA3lhHhAI6OrVz4c7BBaGC2HbFiLSzndMbJz2Xub0uKlJ5o7qtqyMfdBSX3pvOYCXo0Guk4b084V3VtSmURiwPC9Faa0EbICW1veba4k8XbnXsZD54iTvue4tTVTTxYYOn0/s1600/FF5-6-Where-Feathers-Come-FromBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzc8-QIoLNCZA3lhHhAI6OrVz4c7BBaGC2HbFiLSzndMbJz2Xub0uKlJ5o7qtqyMfdBSX3pvOYCXo0Guk4b084V3VtSmURiwPC9Faa0EbICW1veba4k8XbnXsZD54iTvue4tTVTTxYYOn0/s320/FF5-6-Where-Feathers-Come-FromBlog.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Since most birds shed and regrow feathers year to year, it is helpful to know how to make them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Both feathers and hair are made with the same thing: a protein called keratin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To make a hair, you more or less start by just stacking one protein on top of another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all happens in a follicle embedded in the skin </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">To make a feather, the process is more complex. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow the process Thor Hanson describes in his recent book <a href="http://www.feathersbook.com/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Feathers</i></b></a>:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-left: 0.5in;">“Imagine people in a crowded sports arena doing “the wave.” As it passes, each individual stands up and raises his or her hands at precisely the right moment to keep the wave moving fluidly around the stadium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cells at the follicle collar behave the same way, but instead of standing and waving, they add keratin to the growing feather barb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s called helicle growth because it progresses like a spiral (or half spiral) around the rim of the follicle.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Route a small blood vessel to each follicle to supply the nourishment to each feather as it grows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you cut off the supply when the feather achieves full growth or else the bird could bleed to death if a large feather is pulled out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Once the feather is grown and blood supply is cut off, the feather is fully functional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it should get pulled out, just start the process of making a new feather all over again, immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the feather merely breaks but the shaft remains in the skin, you will have to wait until the year’s next feather pushes the shaft out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><span class="MsoHyperlink"></span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">When you get really good at making feathers, please tell me how you get the same pattern and color in each feather every time they shed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And how do you get the same matching feathers on each side of the bird?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter how much I read about feather growth, it still seems like a wonderful mystery. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ypGX5n9fo&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">Animation of Feather Growth</a> by Matthew Harris, University of Wisconsin, Madison</div><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"> </span>Chris Maynard, Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13569235344743343633noreply@blogger.com0