The story of the bird
In April 1933, more than 70,000 Tennessee residents cast ballots to choose a state bird - and the Northern Mockingbird won by popular vote. The state it represents runs from Mississippi River bottomlands to Appalachian summits above 2,000 metres, and its official bird list, maintained by the Tennessee Ornithological Society, records more than 400 species.
This plate gathers the signature birds of Tennessee onto a single sheet, drawn in the Audubon tradition of close observation and honest colour: Cerulean Warbler, Swainson’s Warbler, Sandhill Crane, Prothonotary Warbler, Wild Turkey, and the Northern Mockingbird.
The print
A studied composite in the Audubon style. Cream ground, the navy and sage of the house palette, each bird drawn in true proportion to the others and arranged as a single editorial plate rather than a chart. It reads as one picture of what Tennessee’s skies and yards actually hold.
Paper and finish
Unframed prints come on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm, a heavyweight cotton rag with a soft matte surface and true archival life. The framed option is a different stock: Enhanced Matte 200gsm, set in a classic moulding, mounted and glazed, ready to hang straight from the box. Choose your frame in black, white or natural.
Sizes
Three sizes: A4, A3 and A2, or an instant digital PDF. Prints from $39. Framed from $109. Digital download $9.
How to hang it
A composite plate wants room to breathe. Give it a pale wall, warm white or sage, and hang it at eye height where the palette can carry. A brown or gold moulding suits the cream ground; black or dark grey gives a more graphic edge. Keep it out of direct sun, which fades the colour over decades.
Birds of Tennessee field guide: /state/tennessee/
More Tennessee prints: /plates/state/tennessee/
