Féileacán: Death, Burial, & Resurrection

Butterflies & Moths

Although he's the first I think of when I hear the word "metamorphosis," Kafka of course wasn't the only one drawn to this analogy in life. In Irish folklore, the butterfly is considered to be a soul of the dead either seeking-out a loved one or visiting a favorite place, while the nature of its flight shows its hesitancy to journey on to the Otherworld. Hmm. Since it is almost Halloween, I'll also mention that white moths were looked upon as souls of departed children, which would help instill the tradition that it was against common law to kill a white moth; at any rate, it was very much considered bad luck. (-I've been on an Irish kick recently.)

Whether you like to believe in things like this or not, it is hard to come across a person that especially doesn't like butterflies. In exception to my squirrel paintings, my subject matter has never been all that controversial. <that's my joke, there> I've always appreciated their delicate beauty and was inspired to dedicate a painting to butterflies and moths when one happened to land on the phlox directly behind this canvas background I had started on outside. [Shout-out to Merri, my neighbor, who was generous to share with me these stoic flowers that never ask me for anything in return; they always do well.] Perhaps it is because I have Irish ancestry, ....or not..., but I felt like this was serendipitous good luck because I hadn't yet decided on a subject for this background.

The Background, Summoning Its Soulmate.

Looking back, I probably should've painted those phlox flowers, but instead, I painted the butterfly bush I planted last year that eagerly took over the front part of our house. I use one of the dried flowers as a bookmark and am impressed that its fragrance stands the test of time.

When I paint wildlife, as you can tell if you've checked out my series, I like to hone in on just one creature, but since these guys are pretty small and there is never just one all alone on the plant, I decided to paint a few. Four to be exact. The moth pictured above isn't the only visitor that I included in this painting.

So now that you are familiar with a couple of these specific creatures I've included,

check out the finished piece below:

Féileacán

24" x 24"

Acrylic on canvas with Copper &

Variegated Metal Leaf

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As with any artwork with metal leaf, this painting's look varies depending on how much light is reflected. It seems to come to life by day while reaching a peaceful calmness at night.

Thank you for reading,

-B