All A Flutter by Bonnie Masdeu
Butterflies may be small creatures, but their impact on the world is extremely significant. Of over 18,000 species found worldwide, around 200 are located here in Florida. Butterflies captivate the imagination with their vibrant colors and patterns. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, butterflies play a crucial role in the planet’s ecosystems and environments. They serve as part of the food chain, providing a food source for many insectivorous animals like birds, bats, reptiles, and amphibians. Butterflies also act as a natural environmental control by consuming certain pest species during their larval stage. Furthermore, butterflies can serve as a planetary indicator, pointing to the health of each unique ecosystem. They assist in pollination by transferring pollen from flower to flower enabling the reproduction of plants and enhancing biodiversity.
With a butterfly’s remarkable transformation from egg to caterpillar and finally emerging as a winged beauty this creature presents a challenge to our understanding of this world. How can something so humble evolve into an entity of such exquisite splendor? This metamorphosis has puzzled and inspired us for centuries, leading to a myriad of interpretations.
They represent transformation and new beginnings as well as symbols of hope, resilience, and change. The butterfly’s amazing colors and elegant movement have inspired myths and legends, art and dance in every culture around the world.
The meaning of butterflies has evolved just like the butterfly itself. From ancient soul symbols to modern signs of a healthy planet, butterflies have always been more than just pretty insects. They’re a way for us to understand the world and our place in it.
The Palette Knife Artists of Miami are unified in bringing attention to these beloved creatures. In the hands of these nine artists, butterflies take on a whole new meaning as they become transformed on canvas in rich colors, dramatic textures, and abstract forms. As our exhibit travels, our hope is that everyone will be encouraged to seek information and join local efforts to conserve and help butterflies thrive. The “All A Flutter” art exhibit hopes to emphasize the importance of our delicate environmental balance, playing such a vital role in the survival and harmony of our planet.
Butterflies may be small creatures, but their impact on the world is extremely significant. Of over 18,000 species found worldwide, around 200 are located here in Florida. Butterflies captivate the imagination with their vibrant colors and patterns. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, butterflies play a crucial role in the planet’s ecosystems and environments. They serve as part of the food chain, providing a food source for many insectivorous animals like birds, bats, reptiles, and amphibians. Butterflies also act as a natural environmental control by consuming certain pest species during their larval stage. Furthermore, butterflies can serve as a planetary indicator, pointing to the health of each unique ecosystem. They assist in pollination by transferring pollen from flower to flower enabling the reproduction of plants and enhancing biodiversity.
With a butterfly’s remarkable transformation from egg to caterpillar and finally emerging as a winged beauty this creature presents a challenge to our understanding of this world. How can something so humble evolve into an entity of such exquisite splendor? This metamorphosis has puzzled and inspired us for centuries, leading to a myriad of interpretations.
They represent transformation and new beginnings as well as symbols of hope, resilience, and change. The butterfly’s amazing colors and elegant movement have inspired myths and legends, art and dance in every culture around the world.
The meaning of butterflies has evolved just like the butterfly itself. From ancient soul symbols to modern signs of a healthy planet, butterflies have always been more than just pretty insects. They’re a way for us to understand the world and our place in it.
The Palette Knife Artists of Miami are unified in bringing attention to these beloved creatures. In the hands of these nine artists, butterflies take on a whole new meaning as they become transformed on canvas in rich colors, dramatic textures, and abstract forms. As our exhibit travels, our hope is that everyone will be encouraged to seek information and join local efforts to conserve and help butterflies thrive. The “All A Flutter” art exhibit hopes to emphasize the importance of our delicate environmental balance, playing such a vital role in the survival and harmony of our planet.
‘‘Chiropractic gives me the flexibility I need to keep in the game.’’
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Featured Artist of the Show
Born to Fly
Eight Days to Live
Time to Awaken
Oil 16” x 16”
The Malachite butterflies are thought to symbolize change, transformation, good fortune, hope and positivity. Some ancestors communicated through butterflies, others took their presence as a joyous or hopeful sign.
Green butterflies are associated with balance, fertility, love, healing and life. Sadly the Malachite butterfly only lives six to fourteen days.
Van Gogh created at least four paintings of butterflies. The metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly was symbolic to Van Gogh of the transformation capability for women and men.
Beneath the scope – Iridescent Spotlights
Mixed Media 16” x 16”
The Florida Purplewing butterfly boasts a captivating blend of purple iridescence at the wing base and six to seven distinctive white spots on the outer half. Females exhibit grayish-brown undersides for seamless tree trunk camouflage, while males sport a subtle purple hue with light tan undertones.
Elusive Blue
My Bodyguard
This is the Beginning
Mixed Media 16” x 16”
The Miami Blue butterfly is a tiny beauty measuring approximately 1/2″ . Due to loss of habitat mainly because of coastal development, the Miami Blue was nearly extinct. Breeding efforts are slowly increasing the population and currently the Miami Blue can be found in the Florida Keys.
The Miami Blue caterpillar has a special relationship with ants. The caterpillar secretes a special reward which in turn the ant provides protection from predators.
The eggs of the Miami Blue butterfly are approximately the size of coarse sea salt. The eggs are laid on the buds, flowers and terminal growths of the host plants.
Mangrove Beauty – Oil 16” Round
Hidden in Plain Site – Oil 12” Round
A New Creation – Oil 10” Round
All a Flutter – Oil 72” x 48”
The Mangrove Buckeye Butterfly or Junonia Neildi, is found only along coastal Florida and features eye spots on its wings to fool onlookers with mimicry. The wing eye spot resembles the eye of an animal to deceive a potential predator.
With the butterfly’s wings closed, the Mangrove Buckeye is perfectly camouflaged with its surroundings. Its host plant the Black Mangrove is found in coastal areas and is a rarity among butterflies. The presence of this butterfly enhances the coastal area and combines its beauty with salty surroundings.
The Mangrove Buckeye Butterfly’s chrysalis mimics its surroundings by using drab colors and organic patterns to blend in with wooded areas and black mangrove bark. It protects this rare beauty from predators while the caterpillar forms into a butterfly.
New Beginning – Oil 10” Round
Last Call to Transform – Oil 12” Round
Stairway to the Sky – Oil 16” Round
My Brilliant Garden – Oil 18” x 24”
The chrysalis/pupa is similar to a bag where the transformation from larvae to butterfly occurs. During this process, the complete transformation to an amazing butterfly occurs. This process is referred to as the metamorphosis.
The larva of the butterfly has a segmented wormlike body with three pairs of true legs and several pairs of appendages similar to legs. Caterpillars may be hairy, have warning coloration to ward off predators or colored to resemble their surroundings. The mature larva is approximately 28 mm long with a bluish green to bluish gray body.
The butterfly is found from North Panama City to Southern Florida. Males are orange-yellow with a narrow black border and females are yellow with black fore tips. There are black spots on the forewing of the underside of both sexes and the wingspan is approximately 32 to 57 mm. The eggs are laid on the host plants and the butterflies feed on the nectar of the flowers.
Iridescent Beauty – Oil 16” Round
Hanging by a Thread – Oil 12” Round
Colorful Caterpillars – Oil 10” Round
The Atala butterfly occurs naturally in subtropical climates, including South Florida. The Atala butterfly was thought to be extinct from 1937 to 1959. The population has increased over the years with the reintroduction of the host plant (Coontie) now popular in gardens and ornamental landscaping.
The Atala pupae release silk to anchor themselves to the host plant. The orange and brown color changes with the temperature of their environment. At 10 days old they produce short bursts of sound as a protective mechanism.
Newly hatched larvae (caterpillars) are tiny (.05-1mm) pale and flesh colored but develop into bright red caterpillars with two rows of lemon-yellow spots within a day or two. This bright coloration is a warning that they are toxic to predators.
Delicate Ballerina
Oil – 16” x 16”
This boldly marked butterfly is primarily restricted to the remaining Pine Rockland within Everglades National Park and Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge on Big Pine Key.
Currently on State and Federal endangered listings, this butterfly has a quick darting flight but never wanders far from their larvae host plant and even utilizes the Woody Croton as a nectar source.
The butterfly can be found every month of the year in South Florida.
A Different Point of View – oil 10” round
Don’t You Dare Come Closer – oil 12” round
The One and Only – oil 16” round
Their big round eyes have up to 17,000 tiny lenses that work in unison and create a mosaic view of their environment. Each lens sees a different angle from the next lens so they can see approximately 314 degrees around itself and 1 cm to 200 meters away in sharp focus.
The larvae have an eversible hornlike organ behind the head known as the osmeterium that looks like a forked snake tongue. When disturbed, it rears up and the organ pops up from the thorax for a short period of time. Inside there are glands that produce a pungent liquid which the caterpillar rubs on its provoker to scare them away.
They are the first and only federally listed endangered butterfly in Florida. They exist nowhere else on Earth except in and around Biscayne National Park. They lay eggs only once a year and reproduction is correlated with the beginning of Florida’s rainy season. The pupae may pause their development (diapause) for up to 2 years if optimal weather conditions are not present.
Part 1-Story of Florida Leafwing Butterfly – oil 16” x 16”
Part 2-Story of Florida Leafwing Butterfly – oil 16” round
Part 3-Story of Florida Leafwing Butterfly – oil 12” round
Part 4- Story of Florida Leafwing Butterfly – oil 10” round
Part 5 – Story of Florida Leafwing Butterfly – oil 16” x 16”
Part 6 – Abilities of Leafwing Butterfly – oil 16” x 16”
The male perches or lives about 10′ off the ground and waits for the female. Her eggs are laid on the host plant leaf so the emerging caterpillar from the pupae can eat from the plant, usually a wooly croton. The adult butterfly will feast on rotten fruit and dung.
Florida Leafwing has the ability to camouflage itself from predators by closing its wings. It morphs into its surroundings, hence appearing like a dead leaf.
There are different varieties of Leafwing butterflies. One species (The Painted Leafwing) changes colors depending on the season. It produces a type of poison in its saliva and its blood is deep in black in color.
Even though the life expectancy of a butterfly is 2 to 6 weeks, butterflies have existed on earth longer than we humans. The Florida Leafwing butterfly is threatened by habitat destruction, non active species, introduction of insecticide use and butterfly collection. In South Florida there is also a threat of sea level rising.
As caterpillars emerge, they will rest on the leaf vein. Older caterpillars tend to roll up in the rolled up leaf for protection. The Florida Leafwing caterpillar is camel color with black markings.
Butterflies can absorb energy from the sun. Very rarely a Leafwing may have the ability known as “Leafspeak” which allows them to convey thoughts of plants and even control them. The larger the Leafspeak, the more control they have over the plant.
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