Vanessa atalanta

In my many year since I have started with scribal arts, I have never once made a single piece of art that I meant to keep or was really even slated for me. I ended up with my first original illuminated border coming back to me as my AoA (and as a lesson in leaving proper borders), but since then I have none of my own art on my walls. I hear there are some nice collections of my scribal arts on the walls of my friends though, so at least that's something.

However, I was feeling unwell this week and decided to paint to take my mind ouff the hurt. I had no books of illumination to pour over and find inspiration, instead I had some printed out photos of butterflies. Thus, I was inspired.

I chose a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) as I have ever enjoyed the brilliant flash of red as these butterflies wing by. The deep velvety blacks and browns of their wings set such a gorgeous contrast for their more brilliant hues.

The first image is the butterfly photo and my rendition, one above the other. The second photo is of my painting alone.