Wooden Nest "Bed of Nails"

It started with a tree next to a Seattle freeway dropping its pinecones onto the paved roadway. Nearly every day I would look at the pinecones that were never going to fulfill their purpose and I mused on the contentious border between the manmade and the natural world. Animals and plants adapt to human constructions, including birds nesting on top of light poles and in front of office buildings.

I thought about putting eggs onto geometric "nests" that aren't too friendly. Visually, I love the contrast between the natural eggs and the various nest shapes I made, even though the concept is much pricklier. 

I hand turned most of the eggs on a lathe where I had no business working. Adult Ed classes were lax about policing the adults in the classes, so I found myself unsure of how to hold the chisel (using it both ways, trying to feel which was right). The teacher had decided to ignore me because she didn't approve of me exploring, not knowing where I was headed with these nests and eggs. She thought I should be in the other part of the classroom where people were placidly carving ladies wearing petticoats onto plaques. A couple eggs lathed themselves within 20 minutes, but some of them took up to an hour-and their small size showed how long I had turned and turned them.

I felt more comfortable on the band saw as I handheld (sometimes in the air, sigh) the nests. I was starring in my own Don't Do It LIke This movie and didn't know it.

I survived with all body parts intact. But now I have a healthy fear of large power tools.

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Painted wooden nest, pine cone scales, 8 inches wide, 7 inches deep, 3.75 inches tall.