Rich Kolb and his father created the first Yardbird nearly ten years ago in Jamestown, Kentucky. The first bird came about from tinkering with scrap materials. People instantly loved them! Today, Yardbirds are still hand crafted in Kentucky (now, Louisville) by a group of artisans and the flock of birds has grown from one to over sixty.
In making the birds, they use recycled materials – scrap and rejected garden tools, farm machinery, bicycle and auto parts. Buying a Yardbird reduces solid waste destined for a landfill, and they estimate that so far they have re-used over 2 million pounds of scrap.
Each bird has its own personality. While there are certain designs produced, no two birds are exactly alike. Whether it is a turn of the head, the placement of the eyes, or the variation in the hand-painted (or rusted) finish, each Yardbird has a delightful disposition all its own.
Rich Kolb says “The things that make us happiest in life when we obtain them are not always the necessities of life, but usually the things that we do not need make us the happiest.”
Yardbirds are really just about happiness.
Click here for Yardbirds sculptures