This is an artwork created from off-cuts of walnut floorboards and spalted maple tabletops. This work is inspired by the magpie bird, one of the smartest animals on the planet.

The "Bird Women" series explores the figure as something between a fairy and a muse. We want to trap and capture the body, to obsess over it and control it whether it be our own or another's. These women lure us in while holding us at a distance. The moment we are about to catch them, they escape with grace and ease, remaining just out of reach. Better to observe from a respectable distance and to appreciate the gift of shared space.

This Marquetry artwork is produced in a limited edition of 20 blocks with two artist proofs.

The drawing and dimensions of each block are the same, but due to the exciting variation in grain and knots of both walnut and maple the composition of the patterning in the figure and background will vary.

Each block comes with an inset sawtooth hanger so that they may be hung from a nail on the wall.

5.5” wide x 9” tall x .75” thick

©2018 Benjamin Ahles

All art is the property of artist Benjamin Ahles and may not be reproduced, resold, or used in any form.