The story of the bird
The Northern Cardinal is the state bird of Virginia, the state with the longest continuous birdwatching tradition in North America. From the Eastern Shore to the Blue Ridge, the state holds one of the richest avifaunas east of the Mississippi.
This plate gathers the signature birds of Virginia onto a single sheet, drawn in the Audubon tradition of close observation and honest colour: Brown-headed Nuthatch, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Wood Thrush, Loggerhead Shrike, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and the Northern Cardinal.
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 Virginia’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 Virginia field guide: /state/virginia/
More Virginia prints: /plates/state/virginia/
