Mixed-Media Assemblages > you may come and go as you please

You may come and go as you please: a glow-in-the-dark birdhouse fantasy. Click on any of the top images to purchase this for $320. Free shipping in the US. If you are anywhere other than the US please contact me first. I will provide free Registered Mail costs on International shipping, but please let me figure out additional overseas shipping costs and I will send an updated invoice through Paypal, the only form of payment I'll accept on overseas transactions. Just provide me with the email address you use for Paypal.

All images in this gallery are from the same project.

Scroll past images for information about this project was made, and the story behind it.

This piece was created for a local exhibition called Feathered Dwellings: A Birdhouse Exhibition. The show was fantastic!

This was made using Golden acrylic paint, gel mediums, and paper cutouts on a wooden rocket-shaped birdhouse. It measures roughly 14" tall x 10" wide in total.

The idea was to create a house that birds would love to live in. If I was a bird I know I would love this custom-built rocket ship and Jerry and Jane absolutely adore this place--they're the pair of Eastern bluebirds who inhabit it. You should see the inside: Jacuzzi, stationary swimming pool, spiral staircase, chandeliers, a virtual reality room--these guys have it made and they're well on their way to a full spread in Better Bird Homes and Gardens. But I digress; for today we're staying outside.

This unique lawn features some typical local flora and fauna as well as some personal touches. It has attracted a local one-eyed creature named Babette, who is fascinated by their pet human, Nancy. Babette was created using a broken resin tree, a real glass eye, and silk flower leaves. Behind her, you can see Planet Earth way off in the distance.

Jerry and Jane own a little patch of land created with styrofoam, clay flowers, powdered turf, and metallic gold embossing powder. They have added their own store-bought pink flamingo. There are some glittered mounds placed around the property (created with styrofoam and glitter). The glow-in-the-dark ants love hiding under them. The planet-shaped stepping stones curve around one side of the yard and add a nice touch.

These special glow-in-the-dark rocks help liven things up at night and help retain heat on cold days. They glow best whenever Jerry and Jane travel nearest to the sun, otherwise a strong flashlight or LED light works best to "charge" them. And speaking of glowing in the dark, their "ship" glows as well. The same rule applies; sunshine or strong light and you can watch the lovely green glow in a dark room for about 15 minutes. If you prefer, the light underneath shines red and is perfect for a night light. Never mind the old weathered ladder, it's there for decoration.

About Nancy: she enjoys being outside during the day. She was a fairly well known singer on the planet Earth at one time until, as we all know, the earth became uninhabitable. She chose to sail off with Jerry and Jane and exchanges nightly concerts with free room and board (meals included)--she's a soprano and does beautiful bird calls. She lives quite contentedly.

Jerry and Jane are made of wood and have wire legs and feet. Jerry is adorned with a space jacket and boots made of tin foil covered with silver tape. Jane can be seen in the entry and is wearing a special helmet. Their garments were created by NASA (National Avian and Space Administration). Their gear is for show only--they don't really need it for protection but who doesn't want to look good for a show?

This ship receives satellite signals from several different galaxies and parallel universes, thanks to the high-powered antennae on top (the bird perched there is not real--it's for decoration only, but it's very deceiving). The waves are so strong you can actually see them with the naked eye. This was created using a lightbulb filament, ceramic bird, other wires, and glow paint.

Lastly, their door mat was created with foam and powdered turf, and the sign was made with silver tape and a straight pin. The word on the sign is bird chirp for Welcome.

Just a note: no human was harmed in the making of this project. Nancy can come and go as she pleases (hence the title) and is only in the cage so she doesn't float away. And also, that is not an actual earthworm, this is a gummy worm--Jerry and Jane save the real ones for themselves. In our real world, the worm and Planet Earth were created using Golden heavy gel medium and paint. Earth is perched on one of the styrofoam pieces using a piece of wire.

One more note: this item requires assembly. You can look at it like a dollhouse. All the pieces are detachable so you can set it up in any way you like.