Author Archives: Hillary T.

About Hillary T.

Where: Mass Audubon Headquarters, Lincoln Who: Massachusetts transplant by way of Florida and New York. Raising two young girls, who she hopes will be budding naturalists Favorite part of the job: Learning something new every day from some of the smartest and most enthusiastic groups of people

Marques, Antonio Cortez, age 14,

Sneak Peek at Youth Art Exhibition

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Hillary T.

This weekend marks the official opening of the Museum of American Bird Art’s 3rd annual Youth Art Exhibition. On display are 35 artworks were selected out of 277 entries and include a wide variety of mediums—colored pencil, ink, watercolor, acrylic, block print, pastel, markers, collage, and several mixed media pieces.

The opening reception is on Saturday in Canton and the exhibition will remain on view in the Estate House by appointment through March 31, 2019. In the meantime, enjoy four of the pieces on display, including an artist statement about each one.

Shoebill Stork by Mackenzie Casto, Age 12, Haverhill, Massachusetts

“I think the Shoebill Stork ties into the theme of favorite birds because it is one of the most unique birds alive today. It is also one of the birds that many people do not know exist. A quick look at the Shoebill Stork will make you think you are in the Jurassic time period because it looks prehistoric and that why it is one of my favorite birds!”

The Swordfish Bird with Salmon Flowers by Antonio Cortez Marques, Age 14, Portugal

“This swordfish bird comes from my imagination. I love bright colours, therefore I chose a mixture of colours which is somewhat unreal. I always liked attracting birds and animals. Usually, I like birds with long crests.”

Peacock by Lucy Modern, Age 6, Pagosa Springs, Colorado

“I drew a peacock because they have beautiful puffy tails.”

Flamingo by Sabrina Puccio, Age 16, Canton, Massachusetts

“I recently started sketching flamingos after finding some old family photos taken at a zoo’s bird exhibit. Flamingos quickly became a new favorite bird of mine to draw, which is why I decided to enter this piece.”

Plumage Project

The Making of an Upcycled Owl

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Hillary T.

Art is silent but powerful, just like an owl’s wings. To kick off Blue Hills Trailside Museum’s very first Owl Festival, which took place on October 13-14, art, imagination, and creativity were combined with science and conservation to create the Plumage Project. The idea for this project was developed by part-time Teacher Naturalist Karin Sanborn, who is an artist among several other avocations.

Plumage Project

Plumage Project

Before the event, a call went out for “feathers” created from found materials. An activity station was set up in the museum so visitors could easily participate. One of the focal points for this project was conservation, so raw materials were pulled out of recycling bins. Old cereal boxes and construction paper scraps were “upcycled” and converted into art.

Art Meets Science

Another focal point of the project was science education. Visitors to the museum used feather templates, labeled with names like “primary feather” or “covert feather.” Posters and other visual displays helped visitors explore feathers: the huge variety of shapes, sizes, textures, structures, and functions.

Each feather on a bird’s body is like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, with a unique shape that will fit no other place on the bird’s body. And each feather has a specific function, which can range from flight to protecting a bird’s eyes from sun and dust. Hundreds of feathers were either created at the museum or dropped off by visitors.

Trailside’s Kathleen Regan provided the sweat needed to complete the assembly of the final product, a larger than life sized representation of a Great Horned Owl. We plan on running future cooperative art projects like this one, combining art, science, and conservation with the goal of helping people connect to nature.

— Perry Ellis, Blue Hills Trailside Museum Teacher Naturalist