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9.29.2016

Day #3 of 3: Gulf Fritillary



Hanging On
8" X 8"
$100

The Gulf Fritillary is a common butterfly in the Keys. In fact, it is found in all counties in Florida. It's long wings can carry it over the Gulf of Mexico to spend winters in the Caribbean and South America. It lays its eggs on passionflower plants, but enjoys nectar from many other species. The adult butterfly has glands on its abdomen that release a smelly chemical that keeps predators at bay.


 

I did not take the photo above. Although I see Gulf Fritillary butterflies often, I rarely have more than my iphone and haven't yet gotten a great photo to work from. I found this lovely image on Wikipedia; it is credited to Bob Peterson and was taken in North Palm Beach. You can see many other of his nature photos on Flickr and Tumblr (Wildflower Power).


The second photo is the photo of the flowers I used in the painting. I don't know the name of this wild vine, but I liked the delicate blossoms. I took it walking neighborhood trails when we lived in Northern Virginia.

Below is the work in progress slideshow:


1 comment:

laurelle said...

Again, Nancy, lovely work, and the patience, skill, thought and artistry you put into each painting is inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing your process.