At one time I hated Canada geese for their aggression and the way they poop everywhere in places like Assiniboine Park, where it would otherwise be nice to lie in the grass or have a picnic. Like many people, I thought of them as nuisance animals.

I've had a change of heart towards these robust and beautiful birds, who can fly over a thousand miles a day in the right conditions. There is nothing to lift the spirits like the first sound of geese in the spring. This painting is a reflection of my changing sentiments and a call for other goose-haters to "give geese a chance."