They ate my parsley. I let them.

Do you ever wonder why someone paints what they paint? There’s always a story, and the odder the subject matter, the more compelling the reason.

Poking around in my garden last year, I found some uninvited guests. A herd of fat caterpillars was working its way through my parsley with remarkable dedication. I knew if I wanted any herbage from this plant, I’d better dispatch the little buggers and quickly. But they were so very lovely, all dressed in bold stripes and awesome polkadots.

I gave Google a description and quickly learned they were the larvae of the black swallowtail. Everybody loves butterflies, right? But almost no one likes their adolescent form. I decided to leave them to their work. I mean, everybody has to make a living!

They ate the parsley down to the bare stems and moved on. I’d like to think they left to build their chrysalises somewhere nearby and proceed with the mind-blowing process of metamorphosis. It’s hard to imagine turning into liquid genetic material before becoming the magnificent black swallowtail butterflies they were meant to be.

I would not enjoy parsley from that plant that year, but we had many swallowtails visit the garden. I think it was well worth the trade. These small lives matter. They are connected to ours in ways we are only beginning to understand. And guess what? The parsley rebounded and grows in the same place to this day.

Of course, I had to paint these remarkable creatures.

Everybody’s gotta eat

Makin’ a Living comes in a simple, black frame, ready to hang.

If this piece speaks to you, I'd love for it to find a home with someone who'd give a caterpillar the benefit of the doubt.

Makin' a Living, an 8" x 10" acrylic on gesso board, is available from my studio now for $225.

You can purchase it here:
Makin’ a Living

Until next Friday, Jean