Why I Paint Butterflies

@Annette Bartlett-Golden, Refreshment. Oil on canvas, 20 by 16 inches.

Why I Paint Butterflies
by Annette Bartlett-Golden

Listening to the latest news of tragedy on the radio as I was driving home from an afternoon meeting, I felt deeply saddened and concerned for the country. In the midst of such serious issues, I wondered what I could do to make a difference. Some artists make provocative art to raise awareness of difficult issues; I paint pastoral landscapes and butterflies lingering on flowers.  So I took pause to consider why I paint these simple tranquil subjects.  The answer came quickly: it’s how I stay sane amidst the craziness. It’s how I find solace from the sea of discordant voices.

Surrounded by paintings of mountain vistas, views of the flower garden, and vignettes of children at play, my studio is my private sanctuary. It is a haven for contemplation and imagination. Inoffensive oil paint tubes in an open tool cart drawer, brightly colored collage papers on a table, a multicolored skirt draped over the sewing machine all greet my pensive glance; materials full of possibility.

Here in the studio, with the door closed, I can think and ponder and come to terms in some measure with the world beyond. It is here that I create order out of seeming disorder, I examine the ordinary and find it is exquisite, and it is also here that I find clarity and healing. Making art and writing are an essential part of that process for me. And so, after the painting is finished, the collage complete, the poem polished, I share them with the hope that for someone else they may also soothe the frazzled spirit, provide respite from the stresses of the day, and evoke happiness.