Lyrebirds and Bowerbirds
Two new artists’ books in process
Something Reverberated
and
With wings outstretched and quivering
Two new artists’ books are taking shape at the moment, and while they are not about our current RSPCA foster cat, Gingerbread, they will always be linked to her, for they were made, in part, while she was in our care, from May through to early July.
We dare say, she may have enjoyed their subject: lyrebirds (wrens and pardalotes too) and bowerbirds. And the actions of the birds themselves: a lyrebird engaged in mimicry and a bowerbird foraging. But mainly she would have enjoyed the creation of the large watercolour covers and the binding of the Solander boxes, if the tearing down of the large 10 metre roll of Saunders 300 gsm hot-press paper was anything to go by; Gingerbread loves, Gingerbread loved to be in the middle of where the activity was, be it on the working table or kneeling on the floor, folding a mock-up, folding washing, anything and everything. In her time with us, which is about to draw to a close, she shadows our every move. She shadowed….
To us, she will be a part of the forest walk book and the collection in the bower because she sat with us as we worked on it. In our awkward process, she is slowly moving from present tense to past tense. Loves. Loved. Always.
Recently, we received some sad news about dear Gingerbread. Her ultrasound results show that things on the inside are not what they may appear on the outside. The RSPCA foster team have provided the following information from the veterinary team, for us to share with those of you who have been following her journey.
“RSPCA vets suspect that Gingerbread sustained an injury or obstruction resulting damage to her kidneys at such a young age. Unfortunately one of her kidneys is non-functional, and the other one is working really hard, but is compromised and is failing. Gingerbread’s remaining functional kidney has a severe, resistant infection that would be difficult to treat as she has already had an extended course of medication to try and combat this. Even if the infection is treated and under control, Gingerbread will go into renal failure at some stage in the near future — this will become a painful condition for her to live with and her long term prognosis is poor. It is suspected that Gingerbread may be in some pain currently, but has learnt to adjust with her condition as she has been living with this kidney infection for some time now. Euthanasia is sadly the most humane option for Gingerbread, to ensure she does not suffer and live a poor quality of life in pain and discomfort. These decisions are never easy and we are so grateful for the loving care Gracia and Louise have provided Gingerbread during this time.”
With the short time we have left with Gingerbread, we are making sure it is all about her. We are doing all her favourite things: playing string late into the night; sleeping under the covers; ‘bocking’ at the doves on the fence; running over the keyboard; chewing paper; chewing packing material; tossing toy mice in the air; climbing under the couch; skidding across surfaces. We feel very lucky to be able to spend this time of ‘lasts’ with her. We believe that the kindest thing for Gingerbread is for her to be euthanised, so that she does not suffer as her system shuts down on her.
We will miss her, and feel sad her time was short, but know it is the right decision. We will be with her until the very end, paw in hand.
Pictured here, these days of late, now forever linked to her, for all things are connected.
Something reverberated will be an edition of two, and in memory of a forest walk, the language of trees, and things melding into one. It will be exhibited as part of a group exhibition in September.
With wings outstretched and quivering will also be an edition of two, and it adds feathers, sticks, and shells to our collages created especially for Genevieve Lacey and Marshall McGuire’s recently released album, Bower, through ABC Classic. Our title is a description of the movements of a Satin bowerbird, the book’s structure, and perhaps also ourselves as we emerged out of Lockdown 4.
Alongside the lyrebirds and bowerbirds, bird enthusiasts will note an Eastern curlew, in the form of a print for the Overwintering Project. With a slow and deliberate wing beat (2021) is a limited edition print currently available through our online store. The distances we travel, so very small in comparison to that of an Eastern curlew.
“An endurance athlete of the animal kingdom, an aerodynamic wonder, a bird that flies 30,000km a year, flapping its wings all the way because it can’t soar or glide, the Eastern curlew is a phenomenon of the natural world. It is also critically endangered. It has lost 80% of its population in the past 30 years.”
Walks and books! Gingerbread and her birds!
Thank-you to everyone who has followed Gingerbread’s journey. Your words have made us feel surrounded by love.
Saying goodbye is going to be so very hard.
(If this post slips in and out of tense, it is because at the time of writing, Gingerbread is still with us, purring and present, but by the time of your reading, we are aware she will be a memory. A treasured memory.)
Image credit: ‘Male lyre bird, in picturesque forest setting. Australia’s song bird and wonder mimic’, Tregellas, Tom photographer, c1920–1954, 8.8 x 13.8 cm. approximately, from the Rose postcard collection of negatives, State Library Victoria
