Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Mackinac Butterflies I

The Somewhere in Time conference included a plein air painting session with Lori McElrath Eslick. Due to inclement weather, we met in the butterfly house on Mackinac Island. I took lots of pictures and will post my favorites over two blog entries today. 






Some species of butterfly pose better than others. There was a beautiful striped green one that simply could not stop beating its wings while it slurped nectar. Some butterflies had electric blue on the tops of their wings. We could see them flying around. When they rested, they shut their wings so only the brown outsides with an eye pattern showed. We got to see a defensive mechanism in action. 

5 comments:

Pam Patterson said...

These are beautiful, Ann! The middle butterfly is particularly stunning. Those patterns are amazing! And aren't the blue morphoes cool? What a contrast when they fold up their wings. Can't wait to see the next installment! I didn't get to the Butterfly House, so I will enjoy it vicariously through your lens.

Buffy Silverman said...

Wow--that butterfly posing on paint set is amazing (I almost missed it because of the colorful camouflage!)

Ann Finkelstein said...

Thanks, Pam. I took a few of the blue morphoes with a flash, and I got a hint of blue, but I didn't really capture it.
Buffy: The butterfly on the paint set was sort of the metaphor for the conference, and yet I took only one picture.

Unknown said...

Very beautiful Ann, we love nature, it reminds me that we too can tap into this universal source of inspiration.

Ann Finkelstein said...

Thanks, Loren. I had so much fun with my camera on this trip to northern Michigan.