butterflies as inspiration

This summer it was a major focus of mine to crank out as many paintings as possible before I left for Europe. Tons of work, but kind of fun to just paint, paint, paint. Since we were in transition, my studio was at my mother and father-in-law's home.

I shared before that my painting room was small, so the canvases were usually left to dry outside on a covered porch. This caused many funny experiences with nature, especially with birds walking on wet canvases.

There was one day I came out to a half finished canvas and there was the most beautiful yellow butterfly on it. Honestly, my first reaction was to think "I don't remember painting a butterfly," until I got closer and realized it was a real one...oh, and the fact that I never painted one. Unfortunately it was no longer living, but it's beauty was as intense as ever.

The butterfly after I had taken him off my canvas.

So...what did I do? I painted a butterfly. Several actually.

The funny thing is that the next day I was talking with my mother-in-law and she said, "I see you got my hint." I had no idea what she was talking about, but she explained that she found the butterfly and gently laid him out on my canvas, hoping it would turn into inspiration for new paintings.

It's a very odd feeling to think that something was your idea inspired by nature when all along someone is helping you out! Kind of nice for when you are staring at a canvas for 10 minutes and have no idea where to start. So, here's to inspiration....from wherever it may come!


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