Quails and Blackberries

18x24 acrylic on canvas, 3/4 painted edge. $300.

THIS PAINTING has been in the works for some time now. I took pictures on the South Fork last summer of the blackberries growing along the fence at the Well's Ranch, where I lived for 8 years. I always envisioned quails, but still had very few photos to work from. Since I created the "rock sheet", my quail file has grown considerably.

Rock Star!

THAT"S ME under my "rock sheet". I tried it out for the 1st time last week. I didn't want anyone to see me, at least not until I knew it worked. (I don't mind looking ridiculous if it works, but if it didn't work, I'd just be a fool under a sheet.) A nearby friend has a covey of quails that come around every day to eat the bird seed she throws out, so I thought I would try there. She said they were very friendly and I could get pics easily – I tried without the sheet first.

NO WAY. They wanted no part of me. So I hunkered under the sheet with my lens poking out from a hole and –wow! They ignored me (almost) completely while I took several hundred pictures. Now I wish I had gotten even closer. This is going to be fun!