“Florida Scrub-Jay” — Pastel Drawing in Tribute to The Yearling

Drawn in soft pastels and set in the sunbaked palette of rural Florida, this original work captures a fleeting moment of wild wonder: a Florida scrub-jay—bright-eyed and watchful—perched among the native brush. Endemic to the state and endangered in the wild, this bird is as much a symbol of Florida’s soul as it is a metaphor for memory, belonging, and survival.

The piece is rendered on archival-quality sandpaper with a medium grit, which grips the pigment like dry earth clinging to roots. A light fixative protects the work, which is mounted on foam backing and matted in clean white (16x20 with an 11x14 opening). It arrives in an acrylic sleeve, ready to frame—ready to endure.

This drawing is philosophically twinned with Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ The Yearling, a novel that—like the scrub-jay—belongs wholly to Florida. Set in the untamed scrub country of the state, The Yearling explores the delicate dance between growth and loss, human need and wild nature. Often challenged for its regional dialect and portrayal of hardship, it remains a profound meditation on youth, responsibility, and our place within the ecological story.

The jay, like Rawlings' protagonist Jody, is both fragile and brave—part of a world that demands attention, reverence, and ultimately, care.

This piece is for those who honor the wild edges of the world—and the stories that spring from them.