Mythical Magpie's Nest
For me, the Spirit of the Highlands is like the Highlands itself and a nest is a place to belong, a safe place where we can raise our young, live, work and enjoy leisure, in harmony with our surroundings
I have been inspired to create this mythical magpie’s nest to encapsulate fragments of stories as visual whispers of why the Highlands are so special, to so many, that the bird has gathered in her beak, whilst on her adventures to gather treasure around the Highlands and then woven into her nest. She has gathered nails, screws, fragments of wallpaper and coins from Inverness Castle, as well as native twigs, feathers and so forth, to depict how the bird has drawn together voices, sentiments, hearts and souls to embody what home in the Highlands mean to so many.
Birds build their homes by instinct – they don’t have a manual to guide or direct them and they build their homes in the place that resonates, using materials which are readily available, as this bird has done. Birds form their nests by shaping the interior with their chests; literally putting their hearts into their home.
Image provided by Northport
Image provided by Northport