A PAUSE FOR REFLECTION

A young butterfly, just out of her chrysalis, creeps carefully down a twig to take her first drink. Gazing at her reflection for the first time, she sighs and says: "Oh, what a beautiful creature you are! If only I were as beautiful as you."

Of all the insects that Mrs. Trowbridge sketched, butterflies were her favorite. She loved to capture the bright colors of their fluttering wings. The butterfly depicted is an Anise Swallowtail, Papilio Zelicaon, native to the Olympic Rain Forest. Below is the text that Mrs. T scribed to accompany her butterfly painting:



Many have asked about Mrs. T's technique and working methods. She never started a watercolor painting without first doing a highly detailed charcoal rendering of the subject first. The charcoal sketch served as a foundation for her painting.