There has been evidence of several people copying my work in local galleries and online. It is a great compliment that others are so inspired by my paintings that they feel the need to reproduce something similar. My Butterfly paintings however, came with an important message about Transformation and the incredible capacity for the Human Spirit to come out of the darkness and into the Light. They were linked to the very raw experience of my divorce, deep grief, and the opportunity to turn real pain into something beautiful. Shortly after my divorce, I studied on a year-long course at PCAD, where I explored every artistic avenue and where my first Butterfly painting was born.
I have since become a spiritual healer with the Healing trust, completed a foundation course in Art therapy, exhibited in many art galleries at home and abroad, given healing workshops and more recently, embarked on a Studio Practice course at the Newlyn school of Art.
There, I have gone back to basics, exploring all the potential surfaces and paint I can work with and been blessed with the mentoring of several of the area’s greatest artists. This has helped me to look at my work in a different light, ask some fundamental questions about why I paint the way I do, and whether my message is still clear.
I realised that my paintings had lost some of the calmness they used to have in abundance and decided to restore this.
Butterflies are the universal symbol of the human spirit and can be found in Mayan, Aztec and Greek mythology as well as Irish Folklore. It was illegal to kill white butterflies in Ireland because they were seen as children’s spirits. Hummingbirds also have a long history of folklore and symbolism in native cultures. The Aztecs saw them as messengers between them and their ancestors or the gods. In Native American culture, Hummingbirds are seen as healers, and bringers of love, good luck and joy.
This is why the Hummingbird has now appeared in my work. Thank you for reading this and thank you for being part of my journey.
Laure