“Who’s Laughing now?”
Watercolour pencil on mounted Fabriano paper.
20cm wide x 20cm high
SOLD
This work talks about the native species living in co-habitation with imported species. The iconic blue-winged Kookaburra is engulfed by Monarch Butterflies.
Monarch Butterflies were introduced to Australia sometime around the mid-1800s. Monarchs are native to the Americas and there are many theories about how the Monarch made it to our shores from Californians migrating in the 1840s for the Gold Rush to eggs being blown on the wind. All we know is that Monarch Butterflies have made Australia home. The milkweeds that the monarch butterflies use to breed have come from tropical Africa, the Bahamas and the Caribbean so also introduced.
The most interesting thing about this introduced species is that they are embraced by Australians as our own. They are bred and released at weddings and butterfly enthusiasts encourage their populations. If this was a fox or cane toad would this be the same?
Kookaburras have such powerful beaks. This was a really early stage of drawing in the kooky.
This work is drawn on Fabriano paper mounted on a birch wooden panel and varnished so no need for glass. It is framed and ready to hang.
So many butterflies, I felt like I was drawing in orange for a week!
I added the chrysalis to the kookaburra’s beak to symbolise the idea that this invasive species has made itself at home.