Jane Davenport Blog

Once more with feelers, Jane

I feel this is the start of the new series. I love butterflies and orchids together – such romantic symbols and both are so full of visual complexity. They appear so delicate and I find myself wondering how could they have survived for so many millions of years?  They are both relatively new from an evolutionary standpoint and have both invested in incredible diversity of form and colour as a survival strategy.
Some interesting similarities to be explored….

I created these images in Germany, during an exhibition of my work at Sayn Castle. I just made them available as prints { click on them to see bigger versions}. Time to get back in my studio now and play some more with butterflies and orchids…

I was just searching for something else, and I came across this little piece about one of my books on the Inside Out Magazine blog. A little thrilling really!

I love the line “once more with feelers”!

I am waiting for 6 butterfly chrysalis’s to hatch today , and I just know that I will be thinking of this line all the while. If one of the images turns out, or if it develops into a series, I will probably have to name them “once more with feelers”.

I LOVE the word, ‘Feelers’! Sounds SO much more descriptive than antennae…

When I am amongst entomological or proper scientific company (which does happen on occasion!) a word like feelers or even worse, ‘antlers’, will pop out of my mouth…and heads all swing my way with the puzzled, slightly embarrassed for me expressions…lol!

Must go and check my butterflies and see if their feelers have popped out and they are ready to ‘hatch’!

x Jane

Sign writing for the Lifted Exhibition

The ‘Lifted’ exhibition is getting its final polish over the next few days. Angus is at the gallery now, going through the new lighting plans with our electrician (exciting – can’t wait for the new lights!). I put the exhibition info on the walls last night.Placing all the text on the walls look absolutely fantastic, but it takes me a long time to prepare the vinyl wording. But it is worth it I think.

The large 1m x 1.5metre canvas prints are all up, and the smaller pieces are framed and we will get them up later today.

Lifted canvas works go up

I am working on a limited Edition exhibition book, that can accompany each print as a gift to the collector. I made a prototype and it is a lovely thing. There are a few changes I will make, and then they go to press.

I will have to think about an opening – maybe roll it in to a Christmas party?

Grazia magazine story

I just received a copy of the Grazia issue where some of my images from Sabah appeared in a story about the fashion shoot I did up there. It was a huge shoot and very challenging. Thankfully, the models were not just beautiful, but super-professional and fun to work with.One of our locations was a Butterfly Garden and thanks to our very thorough make-up artist, I was able to sneak in extra time to photograph bizarre caterpillars, huge butterflies giant stag beetles. (more pics in the Sabah gallery.)

This morning I went on a Butterfly watching walk with Kath Vail, an environmental campaigner and butterfly expert in the Byron Shire. The weather has been unsettled for the past few days and is still very humid – perfect for butterflies! I learned that many butterflies are attracted to hilltops and males wage heated territorial battles. So while wandering amongst the zooming butterflies was utter magic, trying to capture a pic was like trying to remember a dream, always just a little bit out of  reach.

Blue Triangle butterflies in a territorial dispute....

I was surprised to find I managed to capture anything at all, because the butterflies were just SO fast and unpredictable. This image prompted me to look through my vast collection of butterfly images looking for pics I had taken of them in full flight.

I was surprised at how long I have been struggling with this unrealised mission and how much film (both roll and digital) I have dedicated towards it. I have many, many pics of movement blurred butterflies tearing along garden paths, above tree-tops and across skies.

For example, I visited the extraordinary Chicago Botanic Gardens a few years ago, and after hours and hours of enjoying the gardens and all the bugs in them, spotted two large butterflies playing tag across the carpark (which was an arboretum in itself).

I love these images because they remind me of magnificent days spent in sunshine with time to admire nature and marvel at the world. They aren’t magic images to anyone except me. They inspire me to keep experimenting and trying to overcome the impossible and capture an image that fully conveys the beauty I am witnessing and joy I feel when butterfly watching.

I have been helping with the brand new ‘Institute of Cute’ Website and it is finally finished!

Institute of Cute website Screen Capture