Metamorphosis

A self-portrait using three objects.18" x 24"For my "self-portrait," I selected three stages of development of a Gulf Fritillary butterfly, which I find on the passionflower vines in my yard. Returning to school was a time of transformation for me in which I had to learn what nourishes me, release the things that are not essential or no longer serve, and figure out how to excel in my new path.This image is a composite of photographs and observations I've made over the years, but is actually based on a single photograph in which I actually observed a caterpillar preparing to pupate, a chrysalis, and a newly-emerged butterfly perfectly aligned side-by-side. Not to be overlooked is the passion vine itself, which is a stunning plant with breathtaking flowers and delicate tendrils and the only host of the Gulf Fritillary caterpillar. To create the image, I applied water-soluble black ink with a fine-point dip pen for lines, and thinned as a wash to create gradients.