Wild Life: Comfort & Joy

Ultimately, I've interpreted addiction as something I would struggle to live without and settled on Nature. Yes, I suppose I could live indoors, but, I derive so much comfort and joy from being out and seeing the natural world in motion. Whatever I'm doing, wandering through wetlands, hiking or beach combing, or frankly, just looking in my backyard, I am pulled along by the possibility that I might see or find something. It's always a great day when nature reveals itself and yet, almost immediately, I am looking for more.

Second to seeking and finding things on my own, I love to see others' discoveries. My friend, Ed Perry, is an amazing wildlife photographer (check him out: https://www.facebook.com/EdwardPerryIV) and graciously shares his photos with me for inspiration. Ed lives in Florida near where I used to live, an area rich with diverse wildlife. "Wild Life: Comfort & Joy" is my interpretation of an amazing photo he captured of a mother sandhill crane with her 2 colts.

Wild Life: Comfort & Joy was created with raw edge appliquéd batiks. The background is linen that has been painted and "sun" printed several times using foliage. The nest is painted silk organza that has been fused to stabilizer and misty fuse then sliced in narrow strips and ironed.

Dimensions: 36" x 18"