I'm taking a break from my drawings! I'm stuffing ducks! No, not as in a cooking experiment with spicy livers and liqoured orange sauce, but as in piecing various fabrics together in order to form sculptural, three-dimensional life-size birds. Don't ask me why I want to do this, but when I found most of an old duck pattern that I had used years ago in making two stuffed ducks for my children, the 'thrill' was on! Using Kaffe Fassett's printed fabrics, felt, or lush brocades from the Stratford Festival Theatre, the serious duck-making began. Twelve ducks later, I continue to find all manner of fabric possibilities for use in my sculptural creations. In pondering the why of all this, I did some research as to what a duck might symbolize.
Apparently, ducks in a dream may represent spiritual freedom or the unconscious, though that thought doesn't seem to apply to my irascible state at the moment. However, the sturdy birds are also indicative of a certain earthly flexibility as they can blend or adapt to various situations and elude their enemies by flying, swimming, running or diving for cover. Unless, of course, they are sitting on eggs, when, as 'sitting ducks', they can be targeted. Both these scenarios could refer to the expression 'ducking out' of a certain issue, meaning unable to confront something straight on. Is this me? Serious work waiting?
On a more domestic note - in Chinese culture, a mandarin duck symbolizes affection and fidelity as they mate for life. These ducks are said to help couples achieve marital bliss and strengthen togetherness. And, according to Feng Shui theories, if you place a sculpture of a mandarin duck in the southwest portion of your house or bedroom, the duck "allows its owner or anyone near it to emit a strong love chi, making that person more loveable and attractive".
Wow what a resourceful bird and clearly my answer to the why of this activity. A dozen ducks placed in the southwest corner...a smoking love-chi wafting about...what happens next?
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