"Nine for a Kiss"
From the ninth line of the magpie rhyme (read below), the birds bring a kiss. Groups of three magpies come together as if to kiss, linked together by twine.
 
18"x14"x1.5"
Graphite, colored pencil, clippings from antique sheet music "My Valentine", acrylic on birch panel
 
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Having broken down the magpie rhyme "One for Sorrow" into a series of ten pieces, I focus on the attribution of fate and chance to Nature. According to the superstition of the magpie poem, dating back to late-1700s Britain, the number of magpie birds seen tells if one will have bad or good fortune: 
One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a girl
Four for a boy
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told
Eight for a wish
Nine for a kiss
Ten for a bird you must not miss