Growing up

The goslings are growing rapidly and seem to stride across the garden and field with the parents from dawn to dusk. They have access to standard feed but prefer to graze on grasses and weeds, and they're getting suspiciously close to the strawberry beds...

This sketches were done when the geese brought the goslings close to the house to rest in the shade yesterday. I was working with my watercolour pencils so had time to start a sketch. Its a bit pale, I really need to work on deeper tones to create a more intense image. This is too pastel looking, but it does imply the softness that the young bird possesses.

I am working on developing a series of gosling drawings and paintings that I hope to compile into a storyline with the help of some friends who have experience in the business of publishing and writing. The continual hatching and development of goslings and geese on the farm provide a constant source of material to work with.

The photo is of the same goslings, who've discovered a pool of water in the driveway after a shower of rain yesterday. Its a perfect baby-sized paddling pool, as they have had to be 'rescued' out of the large paddling pools a couple of times. And if you've every had to rescue a gosling with the parents standing guard you'll realize that its no easy task, as they don't want to let you anywhere near them!

Lucy, the mother goose, stands guard while the babies sit in the puddle. She's ever watchful, but at times seems to get a little fed up and hands watcher duties over to Angelo. Angelo is so named as he has a disability found in waterfowl called 'angel wing'. It causes him no distress, but he is unable to fly. In a domestic situation there should be no problems but in the wild it would mean that he would not survive.

Technorati tags: art, watercolour, gosling, angel wing, drawing