When friends of mine move away to another stage of their lives, I offer them a totem of protection. Usually this is an existing work of the winged variety – a gargoyle.
Gargoyles were commonly used in medieval times. Their two main purposes were to scare off evil, and to divert rainwater. Many had open mouths and long necks because they functioned as downspouts to divert rainwater from building foundations. The word “Gargoyle” originates from the old French word “Gargouille” meaning “throat” but which also describes the gurgling sound of water as it is coming down the downspout. Some were simply grotesque. One reason for this is the belief that frightening figures could scare away evil spirits, and they were put on the outsides of buildings to do just that. http://gargoylestore.blogspot.com/p/symbolism-of-gargoyles.html
For my daughter heading off to Europe for college, off-the-shelf would not do at all. So I built “No Pressure Man” for a companion. Most of the parts for NPM have been waiting in my stock for some time because I didn’t know what to make of or with them. Obviously their destiny was already set and it just was a matter of the time finally being right.
This happens a lot, which is why I have this menagerie of bits and pieces sitting around in kitty litter buckets.
Shouter to Dead Parrots 