Paper Bird Sculptures at Longwood Gardens

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting Longwood Gardens, just up the road in nearby Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Not only was the weather fantastic - summer's last gasp - but I'd been looking forward to seeing Diana Beltran Herrera's paper birds that are on permanent display in the newly restored Webb Farmhouse & Galleries.


Diana was commissioned by Longwood and Gecko Group to create six sculptured representations that live in the meadow habitat where the farmhouse is located.

Many people stopped to look at the life-size birds, but I have a feeling casual observers didn't realize they are actually made of paper... the painted feathers, sharp beaks, and clawed feet are so realistic one might think he/she is looking at taxidermy specimens, although the paper sculptures are labeled as such at the bottom of the case.


Not only are Diana's birds superb, but so are the photographs of each one that she posts on her website. Her ability to transform bits of painted and fringed Canson paper into three dimensional, life-like creations has been featured widely online. To give you an idea of the time Diana spends on each bird, a feature on Smithsonian mentions that the construction of a cardinal "might translate to just over six sheets of paper and five days of labor."

"An eagle or a crane, on the other hand, means 10 to 15 sheets of paper and up to two weeks of time. She observes some of the species in the wild, studies photographs of birds, and confers with ornithologists and birding groups to ensure an impressive level of visual accuracy."

Diana builds an armature of paper strips, then covers it with feathers that she paints with watercolor inks. Only the birds' legs have a wire base.