Curiosity Cabinet

Artist's Statement:

To begin the assembly of my cabinet I started by spending an afternoon really looking at the things in my studio that surround me while I work.

I started to gather items that struck me as an important sources of inspiration.

The bird's nest, the bark of a tree, the bird as a "gatherer" to start.

I also spent time, as I often do looking at my inspiration wall. (see image below).

This small area on a wall in my studio is a place where I pin things that move or inspire me. A colour I love in the form of a ribbon. An image from a newspaper, a photo from a magazine. A card of thanks from a client about their commission. Sometimes it’s just a word that speaks to me or an old family photo. I never know how or if these snippets will ever show up in my work. I just know that they moved me for whatever reason at the time. I revisit the wall sometimes when I yearn for a new idea. A new way of seeing and often return to my work refreshed.

The Tea Cup- I came across a small set of this china pattern at a 2nd hand store years ago and was struck by both the pattern design and pattern name "Ducks in Flight". I often enjoy a cup of tea in my studio from this cup.

Bird on my head image- Birds are always on my mind especially since I live in a birding area in Eastern Ontario that has over 337 species on record.

The Bird- Nature's avian architect. The more I study birds and their nests in my work the more I realize that it is less about establishing a permanent home , but more about the art of living lightly on our planet. These structures are temporary, dissolving back into the earth, nourishing the soil when their occupants are done with them. While composed of materials that are abundant and nearby, they are at the same time designed for both maximum comfort and often in response to the inhabitants needs and their specific climate.

Bird's Nest- This is one of my favourite nests from my collection. Many of the nests are found on my property or have been given to me by friends. They range in materials from mud to horse hair and ribbon and string to grasses and twigs.

Buttons- My Mom's button jar was something I often played with as a child. I found myself attaching personalities to this utilitarian objects imaging what the garment would look like that they would affixed to and the personality of it's wearer.

Lavender - One of my favourite smells, fresh rainfall on the lavender in my garden.

Tree Bark- My homage to trees in particular the birch tree that always find their way into my work.

Burnt Candles- There is always something romantic about used candles, along with the fact that wax is intricate part of my medium of choice.

This grouping of candles is also inspiring because of the particular shade of green found so readily in nature.

Desk Bell- It's purely the sound. Hit it just once and let it resonate. you'll see.

The Cherry- Well I do live in Cherry Valley, Ontario.

In the end the making of the cabinet became a real synesthetic experience.

“Synesthesia is an involuntary joining in which the real information of one sense is accompanied by a perception in another sense. In addition to being involuntary, this additional perception is regarded by the synesthete as real, often outside the body, instead of imagined in the mind's eye.”

(R. Cytowic, "Synesthesia: A Union of the Senses")

-Susan Wallis, December 2019.