Presidential Wives Series, the First Ladies as Harpies

A harpy is generally a derogatory term.  In mythology, Harpies with the faces of women and bodies of birds, abducted and tortured people, then transported them to Hades. I choose to think of the First Ladies as needing to be cunning, and predatory, but also as a source of creating mischief to achieve their own political means.  No matter what their qualities in real life, First Ladies are often perceived by the public as harsh and shrewish, a synonym for Harpy. I took a more whimsical view of them through design and the birds I choose for each one. 

---

 Jackie Kennedy as Sparrow Hawk, 18" T x 12.5" W, mixed media, soft sculpture