🦋 TROPICAL BUTTERFLIES SERIES: Imagining Butterflies That Never Existed
- Mariia Raskin
- Jun 13
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 14
Bright and colorful butterfly paintings (oil and acrylic on paper, 9.8 x 9.8 in | 25 x 25 cm)
Butterflies are such amazing creatures. Just think about their incredible transformation from a caterpillar into a completely different being with wings! I’ve always found that little miracle fascinating.
When I started working on this series, I wanted to look at butterflies from an artistic point of view. Their wing patterns are already unbelievably beautiful, but simply copying nature didn’t interest me. Instead, I began asking myself:
What if I had the chance to create a living butterfly myself? What would I paint on its wings?
And that’s where the real fun begins.
The patterns can be asymmetrical and even extend beyond the edges of the wings. They can reflect the butterfly’s personality, depending on how I imagine it. It can feel calm and monochromatic, soft and comforting, bright and energetic, or completely mysterious.
Abstract butterflies art. Titles of butterfly paintings names in clockwise order : Revival, Freedom, Great Variety, Space
For me, every butterfly becomes a symbol of a particular emotion or state of mind.
A butterfly in warm orange and brown tones represents renewal.
A blue butterfly symbolizes freedom.
A butterfly painted in vivid contrasting colors speaks about joy.
And one in black and purple shades becomes a symbol of mystery and the universe itself.
My creative process begins with making the background paper by hand. I create it using highly diluted oil paints dropped onto the surface of water. The paint spreads into beautiful organic patterns, which I then transfer onto paper. These marbled papers become the foundation for my artworks.
The painting process and my studio view
The butterflies themselves are painted intuitively, sometimes following the natural rhythms and lines already present in the background. Every detail is completed with acrylic paint.
There is one more thing that makes this series special. Every butterfly is created on paper measuring 9.8 Ă— 9.8 inches (25 Ă— 25 cm), which means they can be combined into custom wall arrangements. You can mix and match different butterflies to create your own unique collection and composition.
Butterfly art sets in interior design: on a bookshelf, above a console table, above a dresser, in the living room and in the bedroom.
I invite you to step into my colorful world of imaginary butterflies and find the one that speaks to you the most.
