Saturday, 13 August 2011
If an infinite number of monkeys bashing randomly on a typewriter will eventually produce the collected works of Shakespeare and one butterfly flapping it's wings can generate a thunderstorm, I wonder if an infinite number of butterflies randomly flapping their wings would eventually produce the art hung on the wall in my hotel room a few weeks ago?There were three African looking pictures on the wall of my room; a pair of parrots, a woman carrying a bowl on her head, and a pair of woman (shown to the left). It was at least 24 hours after I'd checked in before I noticed that there was something odd about the pictures. A close inspection seemed to suggest that each picture was actually made up of lots of butterfly wings!
Given that the pictures were framed and behind glass it was hard to be certain but the wings did look natural and had stained the mounting paper as I would have expected them to. After a bit of googling I'm fairly certain that they are made from real butterfly wings and are the work of Paul Caparatta who runs Butterfly Utopia. As well as pictures made from the butterfly wings, he also sells mounted butterflies and jewelery made from butterfly wings.
Lucky Bryony didn't see them. I don't think she'd like them!
Yeah, for once I was actually quite glad I was staying in that room on my own!
When I was a child we had a box from Brazil with inlaid butterfly wings. Whilst they can be used very beautifully to make pictures I have to say that I prefer them just as they are.
GB, I know exactly what you mean. I much prefer seeing the whole butterfly/moth and I think cutting them up to make pictures just diminishes their beauty.
As a child I actually collected moths and butterflies. I never killed any, just collected those I found dead when out and about. They are all nicely labeled and pinned to polystyrene sheets in old wooden soap boxes. They are beautiful to look at, unfortunately they are stuck in a draw at my parents house as Bryony won't allow them through the front door! Next time I'm there I might try and remember to take some photographs of the more unusual species and blog about them.
That would be good to see.
I agree with GB, it weould be good to see them though the live specimens are far better.
I agree that seeing live moths/butterflies is much better than dead specimens. Having said that the dead ones do have a habit of sitting still for the camera!
Anyway I've now got a post-it note on my desk reminding me to photograph my collection next time I go to my parents, although I have no idea when that will be.
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