Magic Geese

In all my work drawing geese and ducks at Valley Green over the last few weeks I always thought I really ought to do some more finished work using them as subjects. I'm not yet good enough with field sketching to base a finished work on it. So my last day there I took some photos.

You see the result in this pastel.

I have an almost pathological aversion to losing all the white in a drawing or a watercolor(even if I eventually do!). So I'm leaving this as is for now. I'm very happy with it. I just can't tell if it will survive with so much undeveloped white paper.

But I do have sense enough, finally, to leave it sit for now and not go back into it. I'd love to leave is as is. But I need to take a break and see if that will work or is just wishful thinking on my part.

The title of this post, 'Magic Geese', by the way refers to their beauty. Many people just think of Canada Geese as pests. And I can understand that view when 100s of them congregate on your lawn, leaving their little presents. But when you sit down and try to draw them you can't help but see how beautiful they are, in structure, value and color.