Click to Enlarge

Pheasant in a Winter Cornfield The original pastel painting was done on artist sandpaper to enhance color range and texture. I sketched this bird from a taxidermist mount shot by my mother when she was 75 years old. In Massachusetts, where my family is from, these beautiful birds are hunted as "put-and-take" (i.e., birds raised on game farms are released to the wild a week or so before the opening day of hunting season). Native to Asia, the Ring-necked Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, was introduced to British Columbia, Alberta, Minnesota, Ontario, and the Maritime Provinces south to New Jersey, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Central California. Males have a red eye-patch, a brilliant greenish-blue head, a white neck ring, and a soft brown and russet patterned body. Females are mottled sandy-brown with a shorter tail. The original pastel painting, presented in a 2" wide mahogany burl wood frame (double matted in an acid-free tan on dark brown mat; outer dimension 21" x 27"), is available for $3,995.00. Limited edition prints and note cards are also available. Click here for availability and price.