“IF I WERE”, 2010 – 12, is of an ongoing series of birds that are part human part bird, shape shifters. Pulled from stories of my mother and our Native heritage. As a Delaware/Cherokee Native American, I grew up hearing family stories of shape shifters with the idea of a trickster who hides their identity, birds as messengers, and owls as bearers of tragic news. In “If I Were” you see where the bird is shifting and he is stuck between the two worlds trying to choose, the world of man or the world of the spirit. He has the hands and eyes of mankind but they are still in bird form.

Today I will share my first’s, starting with a little girl “Tippy Toe”, ‪from 2009. These little figures are pulled from the daily observation of my own children. Watching them face the challenges of life.

My first love in art was photography, I had and amazing visiting artist to my high school that changed how I saw photography, thank you David Blust, but after high school I kept it just for myself for over 20 years, “Ghost of the Dead”, 2009, was the first of my photographs that I ever entered in an exhibition.

Mother represents for me that ancient archetype.
I am reminded of my own mother and her roll in my life, now my part as a mother in the lives of my own children.

Available at:

Bonner David Galleries
7040 E. Main Street
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251
480.941.8500
http://www.bonnerdavid.com