Have you ever watched a child chasing a butterfly? That pure, unfiltered wonder—the joy of a fleeting moment that reminds you of the goodness in the world? 
I’ve watched my own kids, and now my students, chase these delicate creatures every spring, their eyes wide with awe. It reminds me how easy it is to forget the magic that surrounds us daily. How simple things—like the color and pattern of a butterfly’s wings—can pull us back into the present and reconnect us to the beauty of life.
This new series of mixed media encaustic paintings is my attempt to capture that feeling: the raw wonder of a moment where time slows and everything feels possible. To remind us all that in the midst of our busy, often overwhelming lives, there’s always a small miracle happening around us—if we just stop to look.
 
This mixed media painting starts with a colored pencil drawing of the butterfly which I transfer onto the wax. Then begins the layering process with oil paint, pastels, collage, carving, and gold/copper leaf.