Sunday, August 25, 2013

Butterfly Tiles

One of the things that I have been doing with the pictures I shoot of the butterflies is to use them as models for some of my tiles.

I am not sure I can capture the true colors that I am seeing, but I figure that I am allowed to make up my own.

I do find that not all butterflies are alike.
There seems to be some variation in them all.
( hey- I think that there is, I could be wrong...)
(Oh- that wall color is not pink but it sure looks pink- please excuse its pinkness..)

In looking back over my fascination with the butterflies I noticed that all I did a few years back was to just take pictures of them.

Then I became fixed on the wings.

This year, I am all about their faces.
It is like someone whacked me on the head and said, " have you really, I mean really looked at these things?"

I am now fascinated with their faces.

They really pay me no attention and fly all around me as if I am a tree or just some mass to get around.
They are fully intent on doing their job.



Just look at this face....!!


I have been going out to be at "one" with the caterpillars.
I have been watching the ones in the parsley as they nub down every bit of the plant they can find.
There were at least 3 different hatches, making for some interesting watching.
I had wee ones, middle size ones and of course the bigger ones.
We counted at least 14 in different stages.
This morning when I went out many of the larger ones had moved on.
I want so badly to see one all cocooned, but I don't think I will be able to find them in their final stage.
I now know how lucky I was to get the one I had a few years back.




do you ever feel you are at the end of the road?


There is no love lost between the caterpillars, when the big one wants your place you need to just move on.


Tomorrow its back to the pottery and I will have to ignore the butterflies and caterpillars so I can get some work done.
But! I am already planning on more parsley next year.
And, some dill.
I need to feed these hungry critters.

Cheers!
M

22 comments:

Gary's third pottery blog said...

Your tiles are SO UTTERLY GORGEOUS :)

cookingwithgas said...

Thank you Gary!

smartcat said...

Beautiful tiles. Are the caterpillars monarchs?

Cathy Kiffney Studio said...

Superb! Especially like the natural shape of the tiles. What tempeture do you fire to?

Tracey Broome said...

You should bring some of those tiles down here and raku fire them, can't you just see the turquoise glaze on those wings!?
We have seen no caterpillars but have seen more butterflies than ever this year, they float by us on the porch like leaves falling. So pretty.

Suburban Correspondent said...

I LOVE those tiles!

cookingwithgas said...

Smartcat, they are swallow tail butterflies.
The black ones are called spice bush.

cookingwithgas said...

Cathy, I fired them to cone 6

cookingwithgas said...

Th...never thought about raku for them.

cookingwithgas said...

S c thanks!

Laurie said...

Beautiful photos all! I checked my parsley, and one of the 3 plants is nothing but a nub. I wonder... rain or caterpillars?

Trish said...

Amazing photos, Meredith..and tiles!
I had four precious kale plants in a deck planter..came out one morning and quess who had dined in the night! Those caterpillars were just 'plain' green ones..they were happy, I was not...at least you have colourful ones to admire.
and yes, will feed them again next summer too..:-) T.

cookingwithgas said...

Laurie- I think you will be graced by butterflies. Nubs, sounds like caterpillars for butterflies to me.

Trish- I am pretty sure you are seeing the cabbage moth.
They are good feeders as well.

Judy Shreve said...

Your tiles are beautiful! And that photo of the butterfly's face is amazing! WOW!

Michèle Hastings said...

the tiles are a wonderful representation of the butterflies, taking some artistic license makes them more beautiful. After all, it's best not to replicate nature exactly.
This weekend we had lost of the blue/black butterflies. They love the apples that have fallen from the trees.

Gail said...

My sister had plantings in her yard that attracted butterflies and one vine that was there specifically for caterpillars (who would eat it down to the ground). She would see cocoons now and then and tried to catch the hatching. Never was successful. I like the tiles...but my fave is the black and blue glazes. I'm more into beautiful function rather than just beauty.

cookingwithgas said...

it is great to hear some feedback.

We are happy to fix you up with some functional pottery if you prefer.
Just let us know.

smalltownme said...

Just lovely, both the tiles and the photos.

Claudia from Idiot's Kitchen said...

LOVE the butterfly tiles. My friend Jen (who I think I sent a butterfly tile from you at Christmas) brings some of the caterpillars from her garden inside into a sort of butterfly box. Then her kids can watch them grow, cocoon, and hatch. They release them back into the garden. It's very cool.

cookingwithgas said...

Hummm I need to do that- I have been a bit afraid to mess with them.

Linda Starr said...

oh your tiles are wonderful, just love them

cookingwithgas said...

Hi Linda! Thanks!