Top 10 Butterfly Photographs #1

image by Our Everyday Earth – Green Blog

Number 2: We love the colors and texture of the wings in this photo:

Top 10 Butterfly Photographs #2

image by jjjj56cp

Number 3: Such a beautiful and delicate image:

Top 10 Butterfly Photographs #3

image by Silvain de Munck

Number 4: I love the lighting in this photo, resting on a leaf

Top 10 Butterfly Photographs #4

image by dicktay2000

Number 5: I’m not sure what the collective name for a group of butterflies is but I love this:

Top 10 Butterfly Photographs #5

image by sskennel

Number 6: Resting on bamboo, spectacular wings:

Top 10 Butterfly Photographs #6

image by Our Everyday Earth – Green Blog

Number 7: What can I say? Wow!

Top 10 Butterfly Photographs #7

image by Ernst Vikne

Number 8: Great contrasts in this photo:

Top 10 Butterfly Photographs #8

image by Tambako the Jaguar

Number 9: I like the focus being all about the butterfly here:

Top 10 Butterfly Photographs #9

image by kaibara87

Number 10: I’m always amazed at the beauty of nature, such wonderful colors:

Top 10 Butterfly Photographs #10

image by Deanster1983

Zebra Longwing and Jatropha

I have almost finished my piece “Zebra Longwing and Jatropha”. This is the piece I am doing for the Organic in the City event for Texas Discovery Gardens. I was able to get pictures of the Zebra Longwing and the Jatropha plant on one of my visits to the Butterfly House and Gardens at Texas Discovery Gardens. The Zebra Longwing is the mascot butterfly for Texas Discovery Gardens. It is actually a poisonous species due to the host plant it feeds on, they advertise this with their brilliant black and yellow- white markings. Slow but dignified, the Zebra Longwing is a weak flier. Long antennae and a slender body are typical of these butterflies, which are at home in the tropics, but can sometimes be found as far north as Kansas. According to Wikipedia, Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees, from the family Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from (Greek iatros = physician and trophe = nutrition), hence the common name physic nut. Jatropha is native to Central America and has become naturalized in many tropical and subtropical areas, including India, Africa, and North America. As with many members of the family Euphorbiaceae, Jatropha contains compounds that are highly toxic. Below is a glimpse into the work in progress:

Just beginning to paint.

Working on Jatropha flowers.

Filling in color.