Gray Jay. Ernest W. Steffen (1891-1981). Watercolor on paper. Signed LL, dated 1953. 14 x 10 inches sheet. Earnest William Steffen was a noted painter of American birds, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he was a member of the Iowa Ornithologists’ Union and frequent contributor of essays, pen-and-ink illustrations and color plates to their quarterly journal Iowa Bird Life. In 1953 he wrote that a bird artist “must know birds. A casual acquaintance is not sufficient. He preferably should have years of careful observation of birds in the field, so he may know how each bird looks in its normal activities.” Each watercolor is titled on the back, presumably by the artist.