The inspiration for this image came to me on a rainy night on my way home from BC, Canada.  I was sketching some notes about my trip and happened to glance out the window and pictured in my head how cool it would be to see geese flying out there in a storm striving to get to their warmer destination for the Winter; their wings glistening from lightening highlighting the droplets that moved off the edge of their wings. So I sketched as quickly as possible before the image left my consciousness. Two years, a couple research trips, and a boatload of photographs later, I finished the 25" x 49" original acrylic. 

Before painting a scene in which I have changed the conditions from how I experienced it (other than my comic pieces), I study the subject to see if the scene is realistically possible. I read that snow geese are strong flyers often flying at night on the full moon, but also, they will fly in any weather conditions, including pitch-black, rainy nights. "Snow Geese migrate with the wind. A cold north wind can push thousands of birds, hundreds of miles south in a day" (Capt. Pete Walace).   It has also been determined by scientists that they fly in their V-patterns a bit above each other to eliminate wind resistance and conserve energy. The birds actually take turns being in front with the head geese dropping back as he or she gets tired, which is why they can fly for such a long time.  I think the scene, as I depicted it, conveys the message of strength and fortitude that I wanted to convey.