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I carve birds' feathers into intricate art in order to make their natural beauty more noticeable. The work highlights the patterns and colors of the feathers themselves, inviting the viewer to look and look again. For me, feathers represent flight, transformation, and a bridge between our present lives and our dreams.

I display my work in shadow boxes, a signature art form I developed after years of research. I use eye surgery scissors, forceps, and scalpels to carve the feathers.

A conservationist at heart, the feathers I use are legally obtained. Many of the feathers are naturally shed, which means that the birds they came from are likely still alive.

Since feathers are universal symbols of flight, transformation, achievement, and hope, the art speaks to many people who long for these qualities as well as people who revere birds.

My work is included in private collections and featured in publications in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. My book, Feathers, Form & Function, highlights the art and tells stories about what feathers are, what roles they fill for birds, and why people find them alluring.

See my older posts here and here.

More info: featherfolio.com | Instagram

#1

Chris Maynard At Featherfolio Returns With More Feather Carvings

We long to fly but cannot so birds and feathers are important symbols representing our longings.

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#3

Chris Maynard At Featherfolio Returns With More Feather Carvings

Made from naturally shed crowned crane feathers from a zoo, these birds are still alive.

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Chris Maynard At Featherfolio Returns With More Feather Carvings

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#11

Chris Maynard At Featherfolio Returns With More Feather Carvings

The bird eats the bug, the bug eats the bird. The unavoidable cycle of life.

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#12

Chris Maynard At Featherfolio Returns With More Feather Carvings

I mostly use turkey feather from domestic farm raised varieties. They come in many patterns and browns, russet reds, and blacks.

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Chris Maynard At Featherfolio Returns With More Feather Carvings

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Chris Maynard At Featherfolio Returns With More Feather Carvings

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Chris Maynard At Featherfolio Returns With More Feather Carvings

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Loki’s Lil Butter Knife
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gorgeous- it makes me think of the traditional Chinese and Japanese ink paintings.

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