On The Easel

wilfowl art

Barnacle Geese: New Wildlife Paintings
by Martin Ridley

Works in progress - a chance to preview my very latest wildlife paintings. Observe how a painting of a flight of barnacle geese coming in to land evolves from the initial compositional drawings through to completion.

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Svalbard barnacle geese at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Caerlaverock

BARNACLE GEESE
on the Solway Firth

Put very simply the barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) is a small goose with a distinctive conspicuous cream-coloured cheek patch.

There are two other species of black geese native to Europe: the brent goose (Branta bernicla) and the red-breasted goose Branta ruficollis). Here in the U.K. the canada goose (Branta canadensis) is an introduced species.

Barnacle geese are very vocal, their call can be likened to the yap of a small dog. The noise of a big barnacle geese flock just feeding is impressive, but the spectacle of a few thousand geese taking wing combined with the crescendo of sound is quite stunning.

Barnacle Geese, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Caerlaverock

To study the barnacle geese I went to Caerlaverock one of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust visitor centres. There are three discrete populations of barnacle geese. All barnacle geese populations are migratory breeding in the far north and wintering on the coasts of northern Europe. On the Solway Firth I was observing the population of geese that come from Svalbard, a migration of some 3,200km.

Svalbard barnacle geese at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Caerlaverock, Dumfries

Flock of Barnacle Geese - heading for the mud flats

Sketches

Barnacle Geese at Caerlaverock, Pencil Sketches

Barnacle Geese, Pencil Drawings

Branta leucopsis: See how initial sketches are developed into a composition

Barnacle Geese, Pencil Sketches

Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis) Pencil Sketches

Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis: reference drawings

Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis)

Picture Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis: See how initial sketches are developed into a composition

Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis)

Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis: see how initial sketches are developed into a composition

Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis)

Compositional Drawings

Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis)

Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis: Solway Firth: See how initial sketches are developed into a painting composition

Barnacle Geese

Here you can see how I develop the composition by keeping it as fluid as possible. Individual quick bird pose drawings can be moved around or overlaid with improved sketches until I reach a grouping of geese that I'm satisfied with.