The Empty Nest, can be found in places that one may not expect: old canoes, under eaves, flower gardens, and along the sides of roads. The nest is this spectacular vessel that takes countless hours to create. The careful selection and arrangement of particular materials is a work of art in its own right. Yet, the nest is not just this fantastic object found in nature; it also represents life and the possibilities of what could be and what has been.

It has borne witness to birth, dedicated parenting, and the growth of new beings in the world, from the very young to the time of flight and to the flight itself. The nest also evokes the quietness that accompanies the empty nest—just an empty vessel, devoid of calls, sounds, or chirps; a sense of empty. This examines the inevitable dichotomy of the Empty Nest—an undiscovered freedom infused with an acute sense of longing.

There is beauty about the empty nest that reclaims space and time, rediscovers tender memories and a renewed clarity that accompanies solitude. Yet, in the same breath, there is the profound sense of loss that lingers, and the void left by the once vibrant personalities that made a house a home is immense. The works for the “Vessel Series” below represent these feelings and unveil the journey of The Empty Nest.