" MOTH JOURNEY " - 2 mixed media, suspended artworks - An attempt to explain the steps involved in their creation.

In Spring's bright sunlight, a solitary butterfly appears to me on the rooftop terrace of the Kasbah des Caids, Tamnougalt, in the Draa Valley of Morocco.
Fluttering amongst the mud walls and cane lattice.
​Landing on my extended finger, twice, to my whispered calls - the same and only butterfly.

Photo taken by Cait Wait

Photo taken by Cait Wait

~ the butterfly is a symbol of transformation ~

Throughout the Spring and Summer in Essaouira, butterflies appear to me again and again.
In such unlikely ways that I can't help but pay attention.
​Other symbols of transformation and change present themselves.
They make their timely appearance as I relocate my art studio, expand my workshops and evolve my tours.....

"Street Tarot" - representing an end or resolution. Found the day before I made the non-renewal on my art studio lease.

A surprise gift of a snakeskin while I pack my art studio - symbol of transformation.

The wind sent me guinea fowl feathers while waiting on my removalist. First I've seen in ten  years in Morocco.

Through the waxing dark of late Summer and into deep Autumn, I'm thinking about the butterfly transformation through death and renewal.
What are the symbols of transformation in the darkness?
The shadow work.
The Night Butterfly?

THE MOTH!

I expand on this idea with a Mind Map, which explodes the whole theme for me,
and I scribble it down.
These mind maps are an important part of my practice.

​Here's a very tidy and legible example that I've redone in my sketchbook, specially for you.
A two page spread....

See how I follow threads? It's not about ​using my imagination to escape or fast thinking to quickly reach a destination.
It's more like a radial design, a web of memories and experiences, that I note and follow.
There are "thought knots" in this thread, that I feel and question and research.
Creating in the Winter season - the darkness is a time of gestation, full of possibility and inspiration. It's a comforting and hopeful period.

​On this thought journey there are simultaneous images where I need a pencil and a sketchbook page. I also go searching for previous experiments and look through online pictures and information......

~ then I start making the moths ~
​

   Firstly through linocut :
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• transferring moth shapes and patterns to linoleum,
• carving away what I don't want to print,
• rolling printers ink onto each linoblock,
• "pulling" prints using a range of different papers.
• ​the image shows the inking stage.

   Then burning :
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• you can see the connection for this idea in my earlier Mind Map - the moth to the flame.
• previous experience with making work using the element of fire.
• a particular moth I found actually looks like it's wings are patterned with burnt holes.
• I'm using an incense stick in the photo.

   And rubbings and collage :

• the rubbings are made with the linoblocks and coloured wax blocks,
• the collages composed of a variety of papers I've either found or patterned myself with walnut ink on brown papers.

The Winter Soltice arrives and the dark, cold days draw me to the cauldron - it's time to make a batch of encaustic medium....

Crushing dammar resin to a powder and combining with melted, bleached beeswax in a slow cooker. Removing the tree resin's detritus of bark etc and pouring into metal patty tin moulds. The next day packing them in baking parchment for storing.

You can follow the encaustic thread on my Mind Map - moth to the flame -
candle - wax - encaustic - Fayum mummy portraits - life and afterlife.

I pop a cake of encaustic medium into a foil container on the electric grill.
Soft goat hair brushes at the ready. 
Once melted I brush the encaustic medium onto the moths that are sitting on the warm grill surface.
Then leave them to dry and set on sheets of baking parchment.
Most of them worked well. While others couldn't stand the heat. But no surprises,
I was expecting some rejects.
​A lovely way to spend a cold, winter's afternoon.
The scent of the beeswax and dammar resin was delicious. It lingered in my studio for days afterwards.

I thread the moths on a silver thread that hangs from a mirror moon.
The mirror speaks of reflection and transformation; reflecting light into the darkness.

Moths also have transverse orientation skills - they navigate thousands of miles by the light of the moon. 
These migrations, (result in pollinations by particular species), suffer in the industrialized world as street lighting interferes with the moth's navigation.

At the bottom of the silver string, acting as an anchor,  is a cocoon.
​Crocheted from jute and attached to a date palm stalk.
​This is the moth's transformation space, its place of shape-shifting and metamorphosis.

Here they are -
9 moths on each silver string,
142 cm and 158 cm in length,
including their raffia hanging rings.
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You can view a short video on my Facebook and Instagram