“Abundance”
One sunny fall afternoon about fifteen years ago I was walking by the Washington County Historic Courthouse when a flock of twenty to thirty cedar waxwings flew into a line of crabapple trees along the boulevard. Paying me no mind a few feet away, they cheerfully flitted among the branches, feeding on the abundant fruit, announcing their presence in high-pitched song. After these many years, I’ve found the ideal vehicle to express this experience in “Abundance.”
Artist Bio: Gil Gragert
Aspiring to teach art at one time, I exposed myself to a broad range of media over the years. While I enjoy exploring some of the more highly technical aspects of certain media, I tend to gravitate toward experimental arts using a combination of techniques.
Always looking to scrounge and repurpose material, I have an abundance of objects that I use in mosaic and assemblage artwork. While some may call my work whimsical, it is really very deliberate and carefully executed, often carrying a message or two about my experience or mindset.
For my “Abundance” piece, I saved the copper wire left over from rewiring our house. I found the birds at a garage sale while traveling in northern Minnesota last summer. The birdhouse wood is stained with acrylic ink.