Feather cutting art by Chris Maynard

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A bird and flies. Feather cutting art by Chris Maynard

Feather cutting art by Chris Maynard
American feather artist Chris Maynard creates his drawings, sculptures using a small scalpel. Imagine what patience, skills and strong nerves must the artist have to cut patterns on the feathers! By the way, Chris works only with naturally fallen material, so that no bird has suffered. Undoubtedly, the talented artist Chris Maynard is a magician, wizard, and virtuoso of fantastic transformations. In particular, he is able to turn one single feather into a bird, and even into a whole flock of a wide variety of birds.

Swallows. Feather cutting art by Chris Maynard

The artist calls himself a “feather fanatic,” because in his collection – boxes, packages, parcels and baskets filled with colorful, diverse feathers, which he buys from ornithologists, collects during nature walks, or which he receives as a gift from friends, acquaintances and fans of his unusual creative works. However, before he fills up the collection with the next portion of the feathers, the artist conducts a thorough investigation to find out what kind of bird they belonged. Chris Maynard does not use for his manipulation feathers, illegally or barbarously obtained from birds, protected by law. Each feather – the greatest treasure, two identical feathers, like diamonds, not found in the world. Therefore it is impossible to make two absolutely identical works – each of them is individual and unique, one of a kind.

Feather cutting art by Chris Maynard

Flocks of birds

To cut feather figures of birds, entire flocks and bird colonies, Chris Maynard spends many hours over his “surgical” work desk. Surgery because he wielded the tools that are used in eye microsurgery: tiny eye surgery scissors, forceps, magnifying glasses, clamps and scalpels. To cut fragile figurines of bird feathers is a kind of microsurgery. That’s why Chris Maynard seems a great magician – turning one feather into a flock of birds, the ability that not every magician has.

Photos of creative works by Chris Maynard are used for decoration of magazines, calendars and posters. He is invited to participate in festivals and exhibitions. The artist conducts master classes and travels around the country as well as abroad.