Canada goose
Acrylic on panel, 25 x 29 in. (1997)

Canada Geese are large waterfowl that frequent the artic and more temperate spots in North America. In my experience, flocks of Canada Geese breed in open areas near ponds or lakes. These areas are often places where humans frequent, such as parks or the grounds of corporate buildings. Not only do you have to avoid the rather disgusting droppings, you should also avoid approaching the chicks: a parent will come after you at a run, and . . . they bite!

At one time this painting was called "Balancing Act", a depiction of a Canada Goose that represents one of those iffy compositional conundrums where one wishes to do something unusual without making the subject gross or distorted. On the one hand (so to speak), the goose appears to be missing a leg; on the other, the leg is tucked away into the body that is shifted and curled to distribute weight over a single support.

This kind of ambiguity can be kind of fun, and lead to much revisiting and re-assessment of the truth.