All the King’s bird
All the King’s Bird (2014–ongoing) Walnut ink and rose madder on Murillo paper
The birds of All the King’s Bird first appeared during Schwartz's morning writing practice, overtaking pages and walls with their armored, stoic presence. Unlike her earlier birds, these arrived with closed eyes, silent yet insistent. For months, Schwartz questioned their arrival, asking, "What brings you, and who has sent you?" Until finally, one bird turned and answered, "We are All the King’s Bird. Our King always sends his Bird before."
They came in waves, an army of messengers heralding an unseen monarch. But the King never arrived. Shortly after, Schwartz's mother passed, and the birds ceased their visitations. In reflection, she understood: they had come for her mother, to travel her to the King. All the King’s Bird remains a testament to that passage, to grief embodied, and to messengers who arrive unbidden and leave without explanation.
