Hailey McLaughlin

Avian Connection

Society and our day-to-day lives have been subject to many changes in 2020. Masks, social distancing, remote learning and at-home work have become the new normal. For the safety of everyone, we are forced to remain physically isolated from our peers and public places we once frequented. This quarantined lifestyle can be frustrating, and at times quite draining, as we seek connection to one another and the world around us. However, as the human world has slowed its pace in the face of pandemic, the natural world has remained constant; never slowing its cycles of life. In an attempt to break the monotony, many flock to their windows or out of their homes to experience and connect with the natural world around them.

I have a passion for photographing birds and observing wild creatures. The experience provides me with inspiration and positivity on both personal and creative levels. The idea of seeking a natural connection is the basis of my artwork. The Avian Connection website is an online resource with a goal to evoke interest, educate and guide the viewer to a similar experience that they can enjoy in their own backyard. The website focuses on creating a healthy interaction between the wild birds and the viewer so that people can glean a connection with the creatures while not endangering them.

However someone chooses to achieve this connection, I feel it is important in this potentially lonely time to experience nature and the world outside your window. Observing and respecting western Pennsylvania birds can help us all to grow internally during this time of turmoil in humanity.

Artwork List:
Avianconnection.net (website)
Red-Bellied Woodpecker (poster)
American Goldfinch (poster)
Eastern Bluebird (poster)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (poster)
Northern Cardinal (poster)

View Additional Galleries:

Destiny Blackwell
Those Who Shaped Me

Alexis Walker
Kismet