Build your nest with love.
Feather your nest with art.

I learned to fold origami cranes while living in Tokyo as an exchange student studying Japanese language and art history. At Christmas we folded cranes for our tree. The symbolism of the crane, and the colors and patterns of the fabric-like yuzen paper, captured my heart.

I discovered a venerable paper store and was overwhelmed by the possibilities. I brought large sheets back to the U.S. to use as gifts and for myself. The motifs and the papers worked their way into my paintings, folding screens, and assemblages.

After earning a B.F.A. in painting and drawing, my mission was to make a living through art. I worked as an artist for hire: sign painting, visual merchandising, and faux painting. I would paint whatever the customer wanted. It was a learning experience to round up crews of painters and equipment to produce what the client had envisioned. I love employing people, and collaborating on projects, to bring out the strengths of each individual.

About eight years ago my nine-year-old son came home from school, excited to show me the origami crane that he had learned to fold. He told me the story of Sadako and the Thousand Cranes, and we talked about how the story’s theme of hope and transcendence is encapsulated in the origami crane.

We dug out some of my treasured papers, which were still in excellent condition after 20 years, and we folded crane after crane. We used the cranes for ornaments and gifts. After receiving crane mobiles as gifts, my artist friends kept saying, “You could sell these at Bluestem!”

I took my friends’ advice, and with the support of my husband and family, have built a fulfilling art business. The origami artists of the Sonya Bird Studio create peace crane mobiles destined for galleries and homes around this country and the world.

 

Sonya Bird
Sonya Nicholson
Columbia, MO 65203
573-234-1135
e-mail Sonya Bird

 

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