Monarch

This month turned out to be more difficult than I ever imagined. I started off with an image of a praying mantis (one of my very favorite "bugs". I have fond memories from my childhood and my grandmother's garden surrounding these magical walking sticks of the insect family. Alas...the piece would just not materialize. I even wrote to Jan and told her I had put the piece in the corner facing the wall (like all little children who won't behave) and hoped for the best....but it was not to be. I then struck out to work with another favorite....the 17 year cicada but it too escaped my muse (I might add with a great passion) and I had all but given up. I was going to throw in the towel and spray myself down with bug spray and take another tact. THEN.....I looked at the calendar and realized that one of my favorite months was approaching. In October on Nantucket, the Monarch butterflies stop for a rest and to drink their fill of milk weed for their long journey south to Mexico to mate. I've had some amazing experiences standing on the beach at Miacomet Pond, which is surrounded by Golden Rod and Milk Weed, two of the Monarch's favorite foods. They are everywhere and they are so preoccupied with their quest for food and reproduction that they pay little mind to the few humans who come to watch. I've had as many as three of them land on me while observing (quietly I must add) their frenzy.

The moral of this story is not to force the work but let it flow. If it's not working, put it down, walk away and wait for your muse to find you and whisper in your ear. She will and then it's up to you to listen.

Art and image copyrighted 2008 by Bee Shay