14 X 11, Mixed Media Paper, Watercolor and Gouache 2017

The beautiful Spice Bush butterfly frequently visited my 2017 garden here in Oklahoma. I wanted to do a study of it's life stages. I created a painting and also studied the eating and mating habits, migration patterns, and life of the amazing looking caterpillar. The caterpillar actually looks like it has a face and this is called Mimicry. The adults also practice a form of mimicry, they look like the Pipevine Swallowtail, which has a nasty taste that predators avoid. Birds, spiders, wasps, and dragon flies love will eat the caterpillar and the butterfly if they can figure out they are faking it! I took some pictures of the butterflies in my garden.