Monarchs are a favorite subject of mine. The last couple times I painted them, I felt the result was too dark. I brightened the composition a good bit here, and used a fair amount of yellow ochre to tame the landscape. The vantage point of this painting is from eye-level with the tops of the wildflowers. Imagine you are watching the sway of the foliage in a light wind while these amazing creatures flutter around. The blue of the sky is broken up by smears of green, which represents the movement of the foliage. The high saturation of the insects helps to make them appear as if they are suspended midair.

w16" x h12"

Framed