Sunday, April 16, 2006

Symbols


There are traditions regarding holidays no matter what the religion. Some are steeped in history others in imagination. Easter in the western world is a mix of both. Just how the Easter Bunny got into the mix I'm not sure. Its more a symbol of spring than of religious significance, just as the egg is. That of course morphed into the current multimillion dollar manufacturer's bonanza of chocolate eggs. And rabbits and chickens and every mutation onwards.

I think of Easter as the harbinger of spring. Colour reflected in flowers and clothes all make me think of spring.

Here on the farm, spring means cranky animals. The male geese are territorial and agressive. The horses are contrary and argumentative. The ducks argue amongst themselves. It seems everyone is having a bad day every day for about a month.

So what better to draw than something representative of Easter and spring? A goose egg and its producer, a goose. This is one of the brown Chinese geese who lay large white eggs that we either incubate for goslings or if infertile, use for craft sales. I used Derwent Drawing Pencils for the egg as I love the soft colours that remind me of sepia photos. They are thick pencils like a cross between a pastel and a pencil with a smooth buttery feel to them.

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