Picking Up The Pieces – The Clean Up Birds
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Picking Up The Pieces – The Clean Up Birds

I have made three new birds for a group mosaic exhibition “Picking Up The Pieces” with South West Mosaic Artists, currently showing at Cockington Court, Torquay. As usual I interpreted the title of the exhibition quite literally. I imagined what the world would be like after the apocalypse (here I am again, all doom and…

The Phoenix
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The Phoenix

This year it was so hot a phoenix arose from the sizzling sun Sunglasses on we tried to see it’s wings unfurl Still the bright golds burnt our eyes Taking  it’s first flight we saw the feathers turning into flames And for all it’s beauty there lay a monster of our own image making wild…

Blodeuwedd (Flower Face)
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Blodeuwedd (Flower Face)

I was inspired to make another owl after reading the Celtic tale of Blodeuwedd from the Celtic prose story  ‘The Four Branches of the Mabinogi’.  Blodeuwedd was the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes magically made of flowers by magicians, Math and Gwydion, since Lleu’s mother had cursed him and he was not able to have…

Three Golden birds, Two Nordic Snow Birds and a Brave Robin Redbreast
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Three Golden birds, Two Nordic Snow Birds and a Brave Robin Redbreast

I’ve made some new birds inspired by winter just for you!       The Brave Robin There are several different stories about how the robin got his redbreast. I particularly like an Irish folk tale I found which I’ll attempt to retell… It was a harsh and very cold winter and a boy and…

The Robert Plant Guardian Bird of Relics
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The Robert Plant Guardian Bird of Relics

And so to the final one of the six birds! It’s Robert Plant,  our wonderful living rock legend! I thought it would be nice to have someone who is still alive as inspiration for a guardian bird. I chose Mr. Plant because of his connections with Glastonbury and the Abbey itself. In 2014 for the…

Saint Dunstan Guardian Bird of Relics
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Saint Dunstan Guardian Bird of Relics

The penultimate guardian bird of relics made for  the Traces Revealed exhibition at Glastonbury Abbey. Born in Baltonsborough near Glastonbury, Saint Dunstan was guided by the Irish monks in the 10th Century A.D at Glastonbury Abbey. Later he became abbot of the Abbey. When he was canonised after his death, his patronage included metalsmiths, goldsmiths,…

St. Joseph of Arimathea Guardian Bird of Relics
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St. Joseph of Arimathea Guardian Bird of Relics

Legend has it that Saint Joseph of Arimathea came to Glastonbury to spread the Christian faith with the two cruets full of Christ’s blood and sweat. When he arrived he walked up Wearyall (now Wirral) hill and on reaching the top he stopped and exclaimed something like “Since we be weary all here we will…