My friends and family are a competitive bunch and we love a good cooking competition. We call these Quail Kitchen Showdowns, named after the Tennessee state game bird – the Northern Bobwhite quail. Our last event of the year occurred over the weekend and I wanted to grant the winner a special prize. Of course, this would have to be art related!
The Winning Entry
The competitors all brought pumpkin-themed dishes – pasta, muffins, and even some chili. However, the winner was crowned by popular vote – my sister-in-law Mariana! She baked some incredible pumpkin-shaped French macarons with pumpkin cheesecake filling. Yum!
Drawing Up a Prize
To create the prize, which measures 3×4 inches, I did a bit of research into some photos of the Northern Bobwhite and combined it with a chef’s hat for that whimsical touch. Some drawings like these don’t require more than an initial separate sketch and once I have the sizing down, I can jump right into the ink. Natural subjects like these are pretty forgiving when it comes to their variations while a portrait would need more pre-ink prep work.
The end result is a little trinket detailing the story of the almighty pumpkin French macarons and the spirit of creativity. Such fun!
Keep telling stories,
Jeremy