November 7 - December 2, 2003

On the Wing:
Bird Portraits in Wire and Paper

Cynthia Lyman

The wire and paper birds in this display represent the latest stage in seven years of bird construction. I have made birds of all types and sizes, using many materials, recycled whenever possible. I have observed birds for decades, paying close attention to details. I draw them and read about them and travel to see different species in different habitats. Many of these ‘portraits’ originate in encounters with birds in the wild. The challenge with all the pieces and especially the more realistic ones is to achieve a sense of aliveness, which often arrives quite spontaneously at some moment during construction. These works are made of wire covered with many layers of paper, glue, plaster, and paint.

Cynthia Lyman grew up in Pocatello, Idaho and immigrated to Canada during the Vietnam War. She studied painting at Emily Carr College of Art and Design and lived and worked in Vancouver for many years. She now lives and watches birds near Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast.