"Winged Messenger," Celebration Series painting No. 7/25. Available.
One of my greatest joys is watching my deck garden come alive with winged visitors ... ruby throated hummingbirds and goldfinches in April and Monarch and other butterflies in the summer and fall. I painted this butterfly for the pure joy of painting something I love.
This one posed for me among my zinnias in a trough planter on my deck. I followed it around as it flitted here and there. It enjoyed a lot of different colored zinnias, but it lighted on the coral one the longest. I settled on painting it with light shining through its wings and through the petals of the zinnia. I hope you enjoy my garden visitor.
Monarchs are especially meaningful to me. Every time I see one I think of my Aunt Eleanor and her often spoken words, "If I can come back, I want to come back as a Monarch butterfly flying free." She battled a severe spinal condition all of her life, but managed to live a full life, at one time even teaching ballroom dancing for Arthur Murray. She was an inspiration and a dear encourager to me until she passed. I wrote a story about her that you may read on the page of my painting, New Day, Dance of the Dawn.
"Winged Messenger" is Celebration Series painting no. 7 of 25, painted in oils on an 8" x 8" x 1" gallery wrapped portrait grade canvas that can be hung without a frame, rested on a small easel or framed and hung. It has just been released and is available in my studio, online via the dropdown menu below or shipped.
All of the Celebration Series paintings are signed on the front and also titled and numbered with the words Ellen Rice Studio & Gallery Celebration Series on the back of the painting's stretcher bars or panels.
These small originals can be picked up in my studio or shipping via fully insured FedEx.
Please note: these digital images are lower resolution and only approximate the colors of the actual painting. The colors and natural glow of original paintings are always best seen in person.
