Beautiful Birdhouse Garden

Beautiful Birdhouse Garden<br>
After falling in love with a local artist's craft, a Missouri woman puts the artwork on display.<br>
By Justin Davey

It all started when Suzi Feldwisch noticed Steven Eidson's artwork at a festival during the summer of 2009. Eidson, an artist working in a range of mediums including wood, metal, ceramics, and others, builds stunning birdhouses that immediately appealed to Suzi. "The birdhouses were beautiful," she says.

Suzi and her husband, Bob, live on 17 acres just outside Columbia, Missouri, where many of Eidson's birdhouse creations are displayed on a parcel of land dubbed, "Suzi's Birdhouse Garden."

Over the years, the Feldwisches have created a park-like setting on their property, clearing out trees, planting flowerbeds, and developing a water garden and other features. But their pride and joy is the birdhouse garden.

"The garden has perennials, annuals, herbs, and several vegetables," Suzi says. "The entire family has made a stepping stone of his or her design, and those stones are tucked away here and there. The kids love coming and finding their stone each year."

Placed intermittently along the fencerow and perched around each corner, the vibrant birdhouses blend perfectly with the bright flowers, creating a punch of whimsy with their ornate designs.

As an artist, Suzi uses the garden to teach about color, texture, and shape. "It encourages my grandchildren to really look at a leaf or the center of a flower and to tell me everything they see, including the blemishes," she says. "Of course, the most interesting things to the children are the bugs."

Suzi enjoys turning ordinary objects into garden decor. "I found an old pair of tennis shoes on a gravel bar when we were canoeing. I filled them with dirt and planted flowers in them," she says.

A natural process<br>"The materials I use have their own characteristics that they bring to the work," Eidson says, speaking of his philosophy. "I strive for a nice finished product, but it is the getting there that keeps me going."<br>In keeping with the natural process of his work, Eidson prefers crafting his work out in nature. "My favorite studio space is working under two apple trees in my backyard," he says.<br>

"When an idea for an art project comes to mind and I then translate that into a work of art, my hope is that the final product will evoke a smile from the viewer," he says. "I love to see people responding to my work and to hear the viewer's reactions." <br>And Suzi is nothing but smiles when she says, "We have people stop by all the time to look!" <br>

Learn More<br>
Steven Eidson<br>
See Handmade<br>
www.seehandmade.com<br>
660/248-9933<br>
seidson@hotmail.com