Sonoran Standoff, detail

While attending the Scottsdale Artist School, I witnessed Gambel's Quail running through the rocks of the desert landscape. They are quite different from the familiar Oklahoma masked Bobwhite quail of northwestern plains. 

I had to sculpt these little birds and cacti, with the mother quail trying to keep track of all her babies and keeping them gathered. 'Sonoran Standoff' depict the challenge as one ventures off, finding something behind the cactus...a horned toad. I became a standoff for both the quail and horned toad.