monarch painting

Often, when I come up with a new project idea, it comes to me in a flash of inspiration; like when I made this fun collage painting, and these clay ornaments, and these wooden eggs and magnets!

Sometimes it literally feels like a vision comes upon me and I can see the exact outcome of what I want to create.

Those are the fun times, and that’s when I truly know that I project is going to work out.

That’s what happened with this one.

my muses 🦋

I originally bought one of these teak-wood frames for a different project, and it came with this mat that fits six 1.5″ x 2.5″ photos.

I didn’t need the mat for that first project, but it got me thinking: what could I use that mat for?

just some acrylic paint and a touch of gold foil ✨

Well, as many of you may know, I’ve been in over my head raising monarch butterflies this year (I’ve released over two hundred so far, with one left to go!).

I’ve watched every phase of development: starting from handling the caterpillars, to watching them form their stunning chrysalises, watching them develop inside their chrysalises, and then watching them emerge from their chrysalises (when they first push their way out, their wings look like tiny shrinky-dinks until they inflate them with fluid stored in their abdomens!).

If you’re interested in watching a monarch eclose (aka emerge from its chrysalis), you can watch it happen in my YouTube short!

everything in my room is very white-pink-and-gold themed, and so I was sorely tempted to paint this frame white, but it was too pretty, so I refrained

And one evening, in a flash of inspiration, I knew what I wanted to create: the monarch life cycle (with a lot of gold foil!).

I decided on the six phases that I wanted to capture, and was able to use some of my photos as direct references and inspiration.

I absolutely love how they turned out, and made sure to add the small touches of gold foil to the chrysalises, and the shimmery metallic blue to the butterfly’s legs (because they’re not just black, they actually shimmer blue in the sun, as do parts of their abdomen and wings!).

I also made sure to scan these paintings, so that I can use them as clipart, and for other projects.

the butterflies born earlier in the season were much more laid-back and willing to participate in my shenanigans; the late-season kids have been super feisty and ready to start their migration!

When I shared this painting with the family, it was quite popular, so you know there will be some frames under the Christmas tree this year (yes, I’ve officially started on Christmas 2026! 🎄🥂).

I also created one that I added to my Etsy shop, in case there’s someone out there that will enjoy it as much as I do ✨

I didn’t take videos of the creation process, but I did still make a YouTube short for this project!

As much as I’d love to add a few variations to my shop, I harnessed my willpower and just started by making one, since the frame alone costs over $20.

But if this piece sells, then I’ll happily add more to my shop!

For this piece, I printed my scanned artwork, and then added a bit of acrylic paint and gold foil on top of the prints to bring it all to life.

You can purchase this artwork here!