Butterflies, Birds & Wildlife · horizontal

Summer Stillness, Swallowtail on a White Daisy

A swallowtail butterfly with pale yellow wings striped in black rests with its wings fully open on a white daisy that has a bright yellow center. The wing edges are lined with black and small yellow spots, and there are hints of blue and orange near the tail. Behind it, the background is a soft blur of purple, pink and green with faint swirling, painterly marks. The overall look is smooth and illustrative while the butterfly and flower stay sharp.

A collector wants this for the graphic contrast of a pale yellow swallowtail with bold black stripes, wings fully open, set against a crisp white daisy. Behind it, a dark, dreamy, swirling wash of purple, pink and green gives the whole scene a painterly calm. It reads clearly as a butterfly on a flower, but it feels softer and more atmospheric than a typical sharp nature photo. The butterfly and daisy are the brightest, clearest things in the frame, so the eye lands on them at once.

Artwork by Omaste Witkowski