Functional Beauty

It's a good thing I took this back-up, just-in-case photo this morning -- a leaden sky all day, holiday baking all morning (none of it particularly photogenic), and errands all afternoon meant that this image was my only choice.

I first discovered Welsh artist Jen Delyth in the 1990s. Originally from Llangennith, South Wales, she has lived in the United States for several decades and has made the intricate patterns of Celtic art widely available in a diverse range of decorative and useful products, from calendars, stationery, and T shirts to jewelry, afghan throws, and fine art prints.

What you see here is a static cling window sticker, 4.5in/11.5cm in diameter. This one is The Garden, replete with plant and animal life and centered with the ancient symbolism of The Green Man and his consort*.

But the sticker is more than just a pretty thing to look at -- it helps birds see the window we placed it on, and, we hope, will keep them from accidentally flying into it, which kills as many as one billion birds annually, according to this article from Cornell University.

And proving how educational Blipping is, having read that article I now know that I have to move that window sticker to the outside of the window, and add several more, in order for our good intentions to be truly effective!

*(She is referred to in the information that came with the sticker as his bride, the "Blue Mistress of the flowers." I could find no information on such an entity, and prefer to think of her as a Mother Earth figure or the feminine energy needed to balance The Green Man.)