Quails are a treasured member of California landscapes. I catch glimpses when trying to photograph them before they scurry across a path or disappear into the thicket.
For this piece, I wanted to revisit one of my favorite art styles – trompe l’oeil. I have done several pieces, in my early art days, with a “torn paper” element revealing a blackened background behind the drawing. There’s probably a lot to unpack there metaphorically and psychologically, but I tend not to dwell on meaning. All I know is that I like the way it looks and the feeling I get when I see it. For me, it represents hope.
This quail has the added feature of a blurred background. There is a borrowed Japanese term for the blurred background – bokeh. In photographing animal subjects in the wild, I use macrophotography which gives you a nice, blurred background and keeps the focus on the intended subject. And I wanted to recreate that look in graphite.
The realistic bird, the wistful, sparkling background and the torn-away paper come together as “California Dreaming”. Look closely and you’ll see a subtle added touch to the paper’s torn and curled edge. Another iconic member of California’s gorgeous landscapes and a nod to the interconnections of the species within the ecosystems we cohabit.
My wife loves quail, so I’ll do another rendering in the future, adding color for sure.
