Nicole Schoepflin
Fetal Pod Series
Mixed media/found object assemblages.
Large Dome (dimensions - 5” x 10.75”) Small Dome (dimensions - 4” x 7.75”)
The Murder of Trees
Mixed media/found object assemblage.
"Murdered" trees suspended by rusty chains hanging from weathered child mattress frame.
Fetal Pod Series
Mixed media/found object assemblages.
Large Dome (dimensions - 5” x 10.75”) Small Dome (dimensions - 4” x 7.75”)
Fetal Pod Series
Mixed media/found object assemblages.
Large Dome (dimensions - 5” x 10.75”) Small Dome (dimensions - 4” x 7.75”)
Fetal Pod Series
Mixed media/found object assemblages.
Large Dome (dimensions - 5” x 10.75”) Small Dome (dimensions - 4” x 7.75”)
Fetal Pod Series
Mixed media/found object assemblages.
Large Dome (dimensions - 5” x 10.75”) Small Dome (dimensions - 4” x 7.75”)
About Me
Nesting
Bird nests are wonderfully curious objects. This piece celebrates the intelligence, mystery and beauty of the nest-building process. Twigs, grass, moss, feathers and leaves woven together with secret intent. Every bird nest tells a unique story known only by the bird who created it, and by the nestlings it shelters and protects.
Found object, rotating assemblage (84"maximum diameter (36" diameter of dense nest material) x 24")




Birds use nests to shield their eggs and nestlings from predators and bad weather. Birds will cleverly camouflage, hide or build their nests in hard to reach places to keep predators at bay. As important as nests are for bird survival, very little is known about the mysteries of the nest-building process. Instinct surely plays a role, but how much or how little? Bird nests are 3D extensions of a bird's mind. In the center of this piece is a large bird eye, constantly on alert, always aware of its surroundings. As I built this rotating assemblage, my mind was full of questions:
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How do birds choose their nesting materials? By shape, color, density, size, pliability?
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Why do some species of birds glue their nests together with saliva or mud while others dig or weave?
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Is all bird saliva similar in stickiness?
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Is the saliva of birds that glue their nests together different from the saliva of birds that weave their nests?
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Do birds try to use the same materials that were used in the nest they were raised in?
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Do nest-building skills improve over time? Does practice make perfect?
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Do birds learn building techniques from others in their flock?
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If nest-building happens on a windy day, is construction put on hold?
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Do birds choose their mates based on the quality and size of their nests?
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Do birds search for materials in their established territory or do they establish territory based on available nest-building materials?
Time needed for various songbirds to complete their nests:
Bird Species Days
Least Flycatcher 5 – 7 days
Loggerhead Shrike 6 – 11 days
White-eyed Vireo 3 – 5 days
Clark’s Nutcracker 5 – 8 days
Verdin ~ 6 days
Cactus Wren 1 – 6 days
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher 2 – 4 days
Ruby-crowned Kinglet ~ 5 days
Northern Wheatear 2 – 7 days
American Robin 5 – 7 days
Gray Catbird 5 – 6 days
Cedar Waxwing 3 – 9 days
Yellow Warbler 4 – 10 days
Eastern Towhee up to 5 days
Chipping Sparrow 2 – 8 days
Scarlet Tanager 2 – 7 days
Northern Cardinal 3 – 9 days
Indigo Bunting 2 – 10 days
Red-winged Blackbird 3 days
Orchard Oriole 6 days
Pine Siskin 5 - 6 days
Time needed for me to build my rotating nest - 6.5 days
Flock
Birds will flock together to migrate, search for food and stay safe from predators. Murmuration, flying together in quick movements and patterns that seem connected and one-minded, is a phenomenon of nature that amazes and delights all who are lucky enough to see it. This piece was created to celebrate the mystery of the super-organism that is created when a large flock of birds travel together across the sky.
Assemblage (42" x 42 x 32")



