I became slightly obsessed with collage this weekend. It all began with the warm temperatures and shining sun. My kids wanted to be outside, and so did I. But, I didn't have a current knitting project to keep me company as I sat in the yard keeping an eye on the kids. So, I brought along my art journal, some scissors, a glue stick, an old magazine, and some nature guides for inspiration. Let me tell you, cutting up magazine pages and gluing the pieces onto paper is highly satisfying.
I'm particularly happy about this bird, a barn swallow. I worked quite diligently to cut and paste the wing feathers. I also learned an interesting fact from my little "Dell Encyclopedia of Birds." Barn swallows inhabit open and semiopen country throughout the world except New Zealand and Antarctica. I have strong memories of watching the barn swallows that lived in the barns of the farm I grew up on. I admired the nests they made of mud and clay, perched high on the beams of the hay barn.