From Eagle to Thunderbird

After over two years in progress I believe this birds journey is complete. The sculpture starting out as a bald eagle, however I focused primarily on the wings and claws for it's dimensional elements. Not satisfied with the final (flat-faced) design and the focus being primarily on the aggressive looking claws, I wanted to put an object in it's grasp. A dead fish seemed too depressing, arrows and olive branches where a bit too political for the time being. Finally, I remembered the Legend of the Thunderbird and did some research to familiarize myself with the description of it's powerful wings and lightning bolts in it's claws. A blue and white color scheme to represent the sky feels appropriate. Below are a few work in progress photos as well. Next up, there's an elephant on my table.