Welcome to the first blog post! These may not be too frequent, but I wanted another place to share some extras from my projects, memories, and process work when I wish.
These images are part of what I hope will be an ongoing project, in which I use 2D paper butterflies and other bugs (sourced from my local dollar store) to create fantastical images of my friends. This first set, dubbed Paper Monarch, features Payton among the peonies at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Ontario.
You can click on each image to view it larger on its own :)
I’m really happy with this series. This was a beautiful location and the weather was perfect. I had these “butterflies” in my possession for ages, and though it took some time to form I’m happy to have gotten this idea outside of my brain and finally used them to make something creative. The photoshop work afterwards was meant to be fun, and sort of collaged in style. I wasn’t too worried about making them look perfectly realistic. I added extra small butterflies aside from just the wings, which I think are fun to look around for.
Inspiration for these photos came from many sources, including: maximalism, impressionist florals (hi Monet), Barbie Mariposa, the Cottingley Fairy scandal, art nouveau fairies (some from my own childhood books), and of course the paper butterflies themselves, alongside shadow box displays of their living (but dead) counterparts. The idea of putting butterfly wings on people is not new, nor my own, I just wanted to put my personal thought and aesthetic into it.
My personal favourite images from this series are #1, #2, and #4.
I think it’s also important to note, not only in this work but in a large portion of my creative endeavours, that my friends are incredibly important to me, and make the most impressive photos possible. In this case, thank you specifically to Payton M <3 Who also does amazing artwork, which can be seen on Instagram here
