A Quail Quails
1986
oil, 19 1⁄2" x 29 1⁄2"

Many of my paintings strive toward the capture of a split-second moment in time. I like to set the scene for potential action and leave the viewer to speculate on the outcome.

Serval cats are not so much rare as secretive and nocturnal. The harlequin quail is camouflaged but if you look closely you can spot, in the bird’s eye, the immediacy of danger. The serval cat may not actually know the identity of its quarry. It followed only a sound; its oversized ears heard the rustle of a feather, the scratch of a bill in the dust, maybe the blink of an eye. I do not give the quail even an outside chance.