Birds by Nancy Cook Smith

Birds (2022) by Nancy Cook Smith is a contemporary fabric collage artwork that layers botanical and avian imagery into a richly textured, nature-driven composition. Measuring 34 x 48 inches, this textile wall art is constructed from hand-cut and assembled fabric fragments, featuring tropical leaves, florals, and birds dispersed across a soft, neutral ground.

This bird and botanical fabric collage balances movement and calm through composition. The birds—subtle yet distinct—are embedded within a dense field of layered florals and foliage, encouraging slow viewing and discovery. Unlike high-contrast or heavily saturated works, the palette here is more restrained: muted greens, soft yellows, faded corals, and pale blues create a cohesive, atmospheric surface.

Materiality drives the work. Each fabric piece introduces its own pattern and tone, building depth through overlap and variation. The visible edges, raw contours, and slight irregularities emphasize the handmade process, aligning the piece with contemporary fiber art, textile collage, and modern botanical art practices.

Birds is ideal for collectors seeking nature-inspired textile art, bird artwork, or soft, neutral-toned statement pieces. Its vertical format and layered composition make it well-suited for interiors that favor organic texture, quiet color, and material richness over bold graphic contrast.

Details

• Original textile collage work
• Size: 34 x 48 inches
• Mixed vintage and contemporary woven fabrics
• One-of-a-kind piece
  
• Variations in composition, tone, and texture are inherent
• Unframed