Dawn’s Early Light - Snow Goose
20 inches high x 14 inches wide

“Dawn’s Early Light” is all about the magic of light and how it plays visual tricks. There are few places better suited to chasing light than New Mexico’s Bosque del Apache, one of the largest winter gathering sites for Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese. Crisp, clear winter light presents a constantly changing palette of sky, landscape, water and wildlife, something that is most evident at dawn and dusk.

“Being ready for dawn means arriving in the dark and waiting in freezing temperatures for the first sign of an eastern glow. As it gets brighter, details begin to emerge including the sheer mass of birds in front of me. When the birds depart for the fields, some individuals remain behind and allow me to see the light working its magic: the low angle adds warmth to the arctic white wings, shadows help to round and define the shape of the goose, blue sky reflecting off the water opens the dark undersides to the eye, and the shadows of the dense cottonwoods on the shore allow the goose to POP from the background.

“As fast as the scene forms before me, it is over: the sun rises, the colors begin to flatten, and the last geese fly off to the fields. I chase the light until darkness falls, but the early morning image remains with me.”

Permanent Collection
Birds In Art 2021
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum
Wausau, Wisconsin