Title: Marion, Have a Drink, California Quail

Size: 22 inches wide by 30 inches high

Medium: Original drawing in archival ink

Paper: 100% cotton rag paper

Authentic: Signed by artist Andrew Naeger

Part of an ongoing series of bird portraits inspired by people I know, personalities I love or the nature of people and mannerisms I observe. One of my goals beyond documenting birds in my own style to bring attention to nature, the wild species of this world and the importance of their habitats, but also draw out similarities in comparisons to humans. Bringing the two closer together. This bird feels so punk and so special that I didn’t need a specific human to compare, but a style. This portrait is unique in this way as most in this series are about a specific human and bird matching.

Each portrait in this series take 1 to 3 months to complete. The line styles and patterns change based on not only the genetics of the bird, but there personality I’m also trying to capture. Non are technical drawings per se, but feel close to nature. If you study close you will find some purposeful differences, especially in the eyes. Most to be more rounded to feel more human save a few examples.

In this portrait I dream of my Grandmother, Marion. Her and my mother would sit at our dining room table and discuss every topic imaginable. Always giggling. You can approach them with a drink in hand, asking, “what’s so funny?” which would inspire more laughing and little explanation. I imagine them both as a pair of quail, sometimes doves when apart and chickens of special variety when active. Cute, lovable and so soulful in the eyes that pair perfectly well with the teardrop-shaped plumes from the crest and chi-ca-go cackles. The patterns on this drawing were so very fun to render thinking of the two of them, sitting, laughing, having a drink.

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