Change is in the air and spring is here…but is it here to stay?!
(First published in February 2017).
“When she transformed into a butterfly, the caterpillars spoke not of her beauty, but of her weirdness. They wanted her to change back into what she always had been. But she had wings.” ~ Dean Jackson, author of Verses from Somewhere.
Ah, those jealous caterpillars. Don’t they know her transformation was inevitable? Can’t they see the beauty in her very unique shape? her startling colours? her intense, distant gaze?
"Metamorphosis", 9x12 mixed media painting on Fabriano 140lb watercolour paper.
Already the sun shines a bit more brightly here in eastern Canada. The ground is still covered with a thick blanket of snow and the rinks and rivers are frozen solid.
But change is in the air. It might not be visible yet, but it is felt as the days lengthen, and the daily temperatures rise if only slightly.
In a month or so, the sun will be just a little warmer and the melting will begin. All the rituals associated with spring will be renewed.
Living in a country where winters are long, we do look forward to the change of seasons.
Nonetheless, some of us prefer winter because we enjoy the refreshing cold Arctic air while others can hardly wait to open windows, have fingers working the moist soil, make plans for the garden and flower beds, and all those other activities we typically undertake in the spring and summer.
Much like the butterfly that emerges from four different life stages, nature also transforms itself anew each spring.
Some of us might be caterpillars, cocooning within the warmth of the home that is part of the enjoyment of winter. The stillness and beauty of a fresh snowfall is a fond memory even as the snow melts. We scoff at those who anticipate spring.
But the butterfly teaches us that everything is cyclical and that change is good.
Beautiful artwork, I love your blog!
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