If conservation matters, why should it matter to me?

And why does it matter to you?

These were the questions I asked of the Quail Forever team when we first began the project for Quail Forever’s 25th Anniversary Print.

I wanted to know what brought each of them to the table, and how their work affected my life.

As someone who knew little to nothing about conservation, I needed to sort through what they could tell me in order to arrive at an understanding that would help me find the purpose for the piece.

And so we began.

Each of the creative team at Quail Forever graciously took the time to share their “why” with me.

 I also had the opportunity to make a trip out to Western Oklahoma in order to meet with Farm Bill Biologist, Tanner Swank, for a field trip and some really good chips & salsa.

Tanner drove my good-natured husband and myself around all afternoon showing us where he works & the difference conservation makes.  He pointed out good quail habitat, and areas that were lacking.  He showed us where they’ve done burns in the past, and where they will burn again in the future...

all along explaining the how & why of what they do.

Tanner even pulled the truck over in a few different spots and gave us the opportunity to walk around in quail habitat.  It was exciting to get boots on the ground and have an actual tactile experience in learning!

All combined, I came away with something that struck me about this team of people.

I was witnessing what it looks like to approach a table for similar but different reasons, while uniting in solidarity over one.

And this impression of the people that work, volunteer & donate to Quail Forever stayed with me the entire time I was working on the painting.

Each person has a different story, a different why, an individual piece of the puzzle that matters specifically to them….

But, there seems to be room at the table for each one, and none of their differences detract from their common goal.

And not only did that massively impress me, but it also influenced my ultimate design in the final piece.

Just like there are three sections to the piece, there are three reasons for the vertical lines in the painting…

 

First and foremost I like clear lines, organization, order. It's how I see the world.

Second, I saw the quail as divided into three regions…

Two that could be found on the west coast,

three that could be found in the middle section of the United States,

and only one that could be found all the way over toward the east coast.

The third reason for the lines is because of what I witnessed in the Quail Forever team members. If you look closely you will see that the birds cross these lines ever so slightly in the painting.

This is a representation of how the Quail Forever team, and all those who support their work come to the table for many different reasons, stories and passions. However, their common goal is the same.

Ultimately, I saw them as a colorful collage. Each reason & passion crossing over the lines of differences in order to combine as one purpose for conservation.

And that is what I set out to paint.

Finally, there are a few things hidden in the painting, and interestingly enough it is also a set of three.

Each bird has a QF hidden somewhere near it.

Each bird is painted with paints I made by grinding pigments from the rocks & clay in that bird's region.

And around the edges of the painting (hidden by the outside frame) are the Bible verses I prayed over the piece and it's recipients as I worked.

In an upcoming blog post I plan to share more about my own personal perspective on conservation, how this experience has grown & challenged my thinking, and where I see God in the process.

In closing, this project has been the most wonderful adventure, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I have been afforded.

 

Thank you, Quail Forever!

May God bless you, your families, those who support you & the work you do.

I hope you enjoy the piece as much as I enjoyed painting it. 

 

- Christa Dawn Newberry