I began this collection of ethereal insects, halos and blooms during the early days of the pandemic to explore the energy of transformation and rebirth. Each flower and each wing painted during this surreal moment in time brought me closer to understanding my vulnerabilities as a human and the destructive nature of metamorphosis while at the same time revealing the beauty made possible on the other side of change. The vibrant butterflies of day and ethereal moths of night ask us to consider both physical transformation and the abstract transformation of ideas. What things long lost and forgotten are now able to emerge? What new thing can be born from the collective upheaval? What new systems can rise to replace that which is broken?
Half-forgotten garden
with petals
and fragrance
and wings
Spools of cotton harden
and gather
like dust on
brass rings
Clouds of drifting pollen
bloom quiet
and starry
and gold
Sunbeams sifting, fallen,
they shiver
and slowly
unfold
Click here to learn more about butterfly symbolism. View Poetry Postcard Paintings for more small butterfly paintings.
*This collection is currently on display at Locust Cider in downtown Olympia. Stop by sometime to view them in person!
