And so a most unusual project began.  Audubon was an American Master with a mission. Superb indeed as an artist and naturalist, John James Audubon dedicated much of his life to painting the birds, and later the quadrupeds, of North America.  His style was unique in that he did not limit his compositions to the stiff profiles desired by the scientific class, but added the drama of life, ruffling a few feathers along the way, both in his work and associations.  Audubon demanded excellence, and this began with the paper.