Good Goose Graphics is a one-woman graphic design and illustration shop named after my dog Bella and based in Northern Virginia. I'm a mom of 2 young boys, and when I'm not taking care of them I'm probably drawing birds or making websites.

Birds are awesome. I started drawing them, along with many other things, when I was a kid. Drawing was always my creative outlet of choice, and there was never a time when I needed a creative outlet more than when I had my first child.

When my first son was born, I wanted something special for his nursery walls that fit our style. Birds just felt right…beautiful, inquisitive, resourceful and industrious, all qualities I wanted for my new baby. I made a series of drawings that still hang in his room, and I kept drawing after he was born because creating something, even if just for me, brought back a sense of self that had gotten a bit lost in the happy chaos of a growing family. It was new parent therapy.

I drew those first birds with oil pastels because I happened to have some. The more I draw, the more I am heading toward greater precision, and that is leading me to different mediums like watercolor, colored pencils, pen and ink, and graphite. Drawing birds has evolved from a simple homage to an educational experience, with each drawing teaching me a little more.

Most of my subjects are birds I’ve observed in my own neighborhood or back home in Pennsylvania. I like to take the bird out of context and let the paper become its environment, making conscious decisions about how each one sits on the page, where it’s looking and how much negative space is around it. I’m going for simple compositions that highlight the shape and details of the bird.

I've added pet portraits and botanical drawings to the shop and will continue to add new items as I experiment with different techniques and media. Thanks for stopping by and for being curious enough to make it to the end of this novel! :)

Jess Michetti | Good Goose Graphics