I Have An Artist’s Soul

Within my practical nature lies an artist’s soul, but for decades it remained buried in days filled with the abundance of family life and work obligations.  In my 60s I set aside my accountant's calculator and gave my artistic side room to breathe.

I believe that we are all so many things and my list is long ~ it now includes artist. From the moment I began carving, my Madeline Birds sculptures followed naturally. They’re inspired by my passion for birds and my longtime habit of collecting vintage cameras. They also incorporate my love of beautiful quotations. The interior of my cabinet door is lined with handwritten quotes: Powerful or pithy, fun or insightful, from T.S. Eliot to Willie Nelson, I’ve scribbled them down for years. It seemed only fitting that I incorporate them into my artistic pursuits.

I hand-carve and paint each Madeline Bird, and inscribe a quote on each. I then embellish them with anything from vintage Monopoly game pieces to Swarovski crystals to feathers — often including the naturally dropped feathers from my own finches. I’ve embraced a theme of observation with my pieces, hence the use of vintage cameras, opera glasses, and sextants as the base of my sculptures. I spend weeks tweaking the smallest details until the piece finally becomes the dream I have for it.

I often work on commission, creating fully custom pieces. I especially enjoy using someone else’s favorite quote to create a uniquely original Madeline Bird for them or their loved one. Knowing my art passed from my hand to the client’s, and from their hands to another, is a feeling I’m still unable to put into words. The power of art amazes me.

Know that your purchase is going to a worthy cause — profits from Madeline Birds go to the child advocacy organization I worked with for many years.

My studio is located in the Texas Hill Country near the beautiful town of Boerne.