Flight Talismans

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a talisman is "an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune." I've always been fascinated with flight, whether it's birds, insects, or airplanes. While creating this mixed media book cover collage, I was thinking about flight, and how unlikely it seems. Like, how do things fly if they're heavier than air?  There is a fundamental mystery about it, something we can't really fully understand just by using our senses. I know there is a scientific mechanism, called lift, but really, when you think about it, it just defies common sense.  Doesn't it seem a bit like magic? The objects, feathers and drawing in this piece could just as easily represent a magic spell as something scientific. And while we should know that good luck charms don't actually affect reality, many of us, on some level, still hedge our bets. Athletes, for example, may have their "lucky socks" or whatever, that they believe (or hope) will help them to win games.

Flight Talismans is a mixed media book cover collage made with multiple layers of vintage papers, as well as image transfers, drawing, found objects, and stitching.  Layers of vintage papers and image transfers were sandwiched together to form a rich and varied background surface. Then the found objects, or "talismans" were attached. All of them have special meaning to me, because of where they came from, or the person who gave them to me. That's one reason that I love being a mixed media artist - the range of materials you can use is wide open.

Flight Talismans may not protect you or bring you luck, but it will bring beauty to your room, and who knows, maybe a touch of magic!