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Herbarium at the Emmett Christian Gallery, 2023.
Herbarium

2022, acrylic on leaves

There is currently a massive decline in many native bird species in the United States. One of the main contributors is habitat destruction and loss of native plant species that birds rely on. My intention with this series is to highlight the important connection between native plants and native species of birds. Over the span of 3 months, I collected leaves from native trees in Fredonia, NY. I pressed the leaves in an herbarium press and then painted birds that I had observed relying on those trees for food, rest during migration, and nesting. Each sheet is cut to the size of a traditional herbarium sheet and uses labels to note each species of plant. As the birds meet the edges of the leaves, they either lose saturation or disappear completely to show how the disappearance of native plant species subsequently affects decline in bird populations. I spend a lot of time observing birds and plants, and the more I have learned their names, the more I have begun to care about the state of their futures. With this series, I hope to inspire others to care more as well and to think more about long term trends regarding the environment. 

Exhibitions:

February 2023

“Birds and Boxes”

Emmett Christian Gallery, Fredonia, NY

March - June 2023 

"Hope is the Thing with Feathers: Contemporary Women Nature Artists"

 Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Jamestown, NY

© 2020 by Katelyn Davis. Proudly created with Wix.com

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