Postcard No 4: The River Geese Gang

By lindywhitton on June 29, 2024

Whenever I drive upriver I'm on the look out for the gang of geese that hang out on the riverbank just south of Franklin. There's maybe a dozen of them strutting around, grazing in the long grass, settling down for a rest under the old apple tree and trespassing in the fenced grove of autumn trees next door. I know that technically a group of geese on land is called a gaggle but I have to say this collection of geese definitely have the edginess of a gang! There is no doubt they own that strip of land between the road and the river!

I kind of fluffed the placement of that front goose because I plonked it right on the edge and smack in the centre and it really stood out and grabbed all the attention. I wanted it to be about the geese but it was just too big, too white and too much!

It doesn't help that I didn't place enough shadow under his breast to round out his shape.

That very visible gang leader has all but dissappeared! I added some shadowing to make his shape more realistic and then darker grass in front to make him sit better in the landscape.

It's OK but not exactly what I was aiming for.

If I upsize this postcard I plan to rework the placement of the geese and aim for them to be a bit more visable without dominating.

It's surprising how much I learn from these little postcards. I'm sure my skill level will have dramatically improved after a year of postcards of Life by the River. If you don't have time, space or materials for large creative projects you can learn just as much from regular, smaller works. It's not the size that matters it's how often you practice. Are you a fan of small projects or do you like to go large?