Imperial Jezebel Butterfly

One of a series contrasting a coloured realistic appearing insect in my “Impressionist Sculptured Paper” style, leaving as much evidence as possible of the medium’s paper nature, against a semi-abstract setting made only of natural paper colours.Delias harpalyce is a simply awe inspiring butterfly to observe in nature. Living in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges privileges me with the frequent appearance of this beauty attending the many blooms offered by Spring’s abundance around my studio, compelling me to include it in this series.The background is inspired by the flowers of Eucalyptus species. Interestingly, the dorsal (upper) and ventral (lower) wing views of the males are a complete contrast of colour and pattern. The upper side is no more than a narrow, mostly forewing edge, pattern of black on white. Their commonest relative is the introduced Cabbage White, Pieris rapae.Sculptured from Tasmanian Creative Papers 180gsm cold pressed recycled cotton rag paper for the body. The “hairs” are from teased out tufts of handmade Japanese mulberry Water Drop Paper. Mounted on French Arches 300gsm new cotton hot pressed art paper. Archival ink tinted colouring. Framed in Tasmanian Hardwood timber with chalk lime wash finish complementing the papers. Acrylic glazing.