Lives of Butterflies, Lives of People
a slide show by artist Debbie O'Rourke

At mid-life, artist Debbie ORourke had the opportunity to return to the classroom of her childhood, a wild meadow. The slides in this presentation record her observations of the monarch butterly in its various stages, and the artwork that grew from them. In her work, O'Rourke relates the stages of the butterfly's life to human growth and change. She uses the relationship between the milkweed and the butterfly to illustrate the unity of all life, from the soil to the human being. The show demonstrates how nature can be a teacher and inspiration, and how sensitive observation gives rise to creativity. Depending on the needs of the audience, this all-ages presentation can present itself as a simple nature story or as something more.

Monarch caterpillar shedding its skin

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