Chris Maynard combines his scientific knowledge, aesthetic sensibility, and love of nature in a uniquely new art form – created entirely from Feathers.

Utilizing surgical scissors, forceps, scalpels, and magnifying lenses to carve each feather, Mr. Maynard arrays them in lovely and inventive designs. Each placement respects the feather’s natural form, shape, color and pattern which are wholly preserved and unadulterated. Setting the configurations in deep shadow boxes allows each feather’s curve and shape to emerge dimensionally – enhanced further by the shadows each element casts within the frame. Reanimated within their new habitats, the feathers seemingly move and take flight.

Though often perceived to be fragile and delicate, feathers are actually quite strong – having to keep a bird clothed, sheltered and in flight for long periods of time. As such, each of the set feathers will retain its structural integrity, color and form for the life of the art work.

As a committed conservationist, Mr. Maynard adheres to the most scrupulous methods in collecting his materials through an extensive network of aviaries and zoos. Most of the feathers he utilizes were naturally molted …- and many of Mr. Maynard’s avian collaborators remain alive and well.

Birthplace:   New York, NY 1954

Selected Exhibitions

IFC, Shanghai, China
Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
Sonora Desert Museum, AZ
Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Olympia, WA.
Animals in Art, Baton Rouge, LA
Artists for Conservation, Vancouver, BC.
Washington Dept. of Ecology, Olympia, WA
White Bird Dance Awards, Portland, OR
State Capitol Building, Olympia, WA.

Publications and Media

In addition to awards and honors from Conservation Societies including the Society of Animal Artists and Artists for Conservation, Chris Maynard’s work has been featured in media outlets including: The Huffington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, The Discovery Channel, MSN, The Daily Mail (UK), Reddit, Country Living Magazine, Inhabitat, Design Boom, Science Donga (South Korea), Orion Magazine, American Lifestyle Magazine, and The Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery (Cover) among numerous others. Mr. Maynard was also invited to deliver a TED talk before an audience of 950 attendees in Olympia, Washington (September 2015.)