Tuesday, February 22, 2011

flutterby

I guess its the metamorphosis from grub to winged beauty that draws us in. That and the way they look like a floating flower as they drift by. You just can't help but follow them til they are out of sight.
I didn't want to forget the moths. This is a peach blossom moth flitting around sweet peas and ground daisies.
Below is a photo of the migration of the monarch , the California state butterfly. They are the only living things besides birds to migrate in such great numbers.





butterfly handles too





Queen Alexandria's Butterfly, Wing span of twelve inches!



blooming on the kitchen shelf




butterfly books in the dining room


Now let my bed be hard,
no care take I
I'll make my joy like this
small butterfly
walter de la mere



Atlas moth. Don't worry, they don't bite.
Butterflies like milkweed, asters, wildflowers, hollyhock, zinnias and many more.
Good caterpillar host plants include clover, dill, Queen Anne's Lace and fruit tree blossom.
Of course pesticides are out of the question, but you already knew that.
xxx







juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com

52 comments:

sharon said...

OMG, you take me to another world with your butterfly handles! I want to be there, where they are, among the birds and butterflies.
There are not adequate words to describe your outstanding work and the emotion it stirs. Very beautiful!

Michelle @ Give a Girl a Fig said...

your work is amazing...I love it so much...

A bird in the hand said...

Coincidentally, I made a butterfly today (paper, fabric, lace).

Flutterby!
xoxo

Val said...

Butterflies! Squeeee! :) I love the butterfly handle. The pottery is lovely, and this post is just a joy. :)

Librarian said...

I've always had a thing for butterflies! Not that far from where I live, an old rubbish heap has been made grow over with grass, and it is now a popular hill for model plane enthusiasts to fly their planes from. It is covered in wild flowers, which makes for a butterfly paradise. To go there on a sunny day and just lay in the grass to watch the butterflies is utter bliss for me.
And my sister bought me a pair of tiny yellow butterflies for earrings, to be worn with my favourite yellow dress :-)

Dreaming Woods said...

these are just beautiful Julie, perfect for spring dreaming!

i can not wait to see first butterflies and migrating birds, like robins, chaffinches...

bundles of joy,
Delila

Gloria Freshley Art and Design said...

Such a wonderful post. And such lovely cups! Are they headed to your shop?

Tracey Broome said...

your blog and your work always make me smile! Now I'm ready for Spring to get here and for my butterfly bush to bloom again!

Julie said...

I love butterflies I work hard to plant flowers that they like. I've heard about the migration of the monarchs maybe someday I will get down there to see it!

susan jenkins said...

Absolutely beautiful Julie, I love them all! The butterfly handles and the birds gazing up ward to the butterly and moth, just all wonderful!
xx Susan

holly aka golly said...

I love moths and butterflies and yours are just dreamy!

Julie Whitmore Pottery said...

Sharon , that is the sweetest comment,
Michelle, bird, Val, thanks so much for stopping by
Meike, what kind of butterflies come to the hill?
Delila, me either!
Holly isn't that Atlas something?
thx Tracy and Julie, I need to plant a butterfly bush.
Gloria, yes, I am going to list cups in etsy
thanks sis
xx

Valerianna said...

I love the bird cup with butterfly handle, beautiful.

Last summer, I was particularly gifted with luna moths and polyphemus - both magical, large and around most regularly all summer. It was amazing. Unfortunately, the owls, and other birds I love, also love to eat them.. and so it is. I now have a huge collection of wings and sometimes whole bodies without the insides. Good for drawing, or just keeping in the treasures box. But, of course, I much preferred finding them clinging to my screen door or fluttering around the porch at night. It was a magical summer.

gallerydarrow said...

A feast for the eyes!!! I love them all.

xo

cabin fever said...

Hi Julie-
LOVE your new pieces, LOVE your photographs, too. Such a wonderful combination of nature - butterflies, moths, sweet peas, daisies, birds......Despite all of our snow, I'm now sure Spring will come. Thanks for reminding me of that!!!

Liz XO

cabin fever said...

Julie!!!
LOVE your new pieces, LOVE your photography, too. Such a wonderful combination of nature - birds, butterflies, moths, sweet peas and daisies........Thanks for reminding me that Spring WILL come, even to New England!

Liz XO

Vintage Fairy Tales Rebecka said...

In Spanish the word for butterfly is "mariposa".
Love the sound of that word,
love your mariposas Julie!
XX
Becky

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

i LOVE everything...so california...love the photograph of the migrating butterflys...your pottery pieces are just charming...

feels like SPRING is on the way

:-)

d.o.t.s.f.
donkey on the SPRING farm

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

I love how the butterflies on the wall look like they are flying out of that lovely mug. Beautiful, beautiful work.

A Mermaid's Tale said...

Wild flowers and butterflies/moths - there isn't a more beautiful combination! Such lovely pieces Julie. Have you ever written and illustrated a children's book? I can just see your wonderful paintings of woodland animals and all the natural flora and fauna coming to life on the page. What were your favourite books as a child?
Best,
Christine x

Claire said...

Oh Julie, you have truly captured the elusive beauty of these wonderful creatures. I love these new mugs

What a spectacular to witness the migration of the Monarch butterfly, just stunning.

I have never seen an Atlas moth before, they are huge, what an amazing array of creatures both great and small dwelling on this planet.

Claire :}

lilylovekin said...

I love them all as always.

jen storer said...

Bloomin' beautiful! jxx

Vicki Boster said...

Oh my Julie- your newest butterfly collection is amazingly beautiful. You know- I am in love with your creations.
Vicki

Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes said...

Just beautiful, every time I see a butterfly I think of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis - she envied their freedom. I enjoyed my visit today!

Mary

farmlady said...

I have lived in California all my life and never gone to see the Butterflies in Pacific Grove. I guess it should be on my bucket list.
You have captured the essence of what these beautiful creature are in your pottery pieces. They are beautiful.

jim-brecht said...

I think too, the short life span of the butterfly makes them especially bittersweet. They are so beautiful..a special gift. I still am like a little girl whenever I am lucky enough to spot one, "OH LOOK..A Butterfly!!!"
But of course, Julie has made it possible for us to have them in our grasp at any time! That is Her magic! XOXO, April.

A time to dance said...

Oh Julie how lovely - your work is wonderful and the little daisies, my favourite...I love your creations you are so clever...I have wonund your wool and will start your socks today...love H

annamaria potamiti said...

Oh the beauty of these butterfly handles! Brilliant my friend!!X

Anne said...

Hello Julie,
Thank you for your kind words on my post "On my mind". My words seemed to have touched a few peoples hearts which in turn touches mine.
I'm so glad I've come to say hello because I have discovered your beautiful work. I love your work, both the illustrations on your ceramics and the ceramics themselves. You are a very talented lady. I am your newest follower. :) I'm also going to give my Mum your link because she just adores butterflies.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful work with us here in blogland.
Have a lovely weekend,
Anne xx

Mozart's Girl said...

Julie, your art just blows me away...utterly utterly charming! I'd love to come visit you one day...you make me smell the Spring and sweet flower fragrance wafting by on soft air...absolutely beautiful, thank you xo Rachel

Mary ,East Coventry said...

Thinking of the haiku about butterflies-a fallen blossom/returns to the branch/a butterfly!
Your work is so very beautiful!

Jeanette Nord said...

Hello Julie!
I just love your pottery. Wish I was in California right now and not in Sweden. I would rush to your store and check it all out. I love butterflies too but we never get any that big in Sweden though.

Can`t wait to see you paper mache teacup inspired by Ann Wood. Please keep me posted.

Jeanette

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Wonderful, Julie! Wonderful butterfly cups, wonderful illustrations and the real thing, too. Makes me think of summer and flowers. x

Lori ann said...

Just beautiful post Julie. I love the butterfly too and we've been lucky to see the migration, in goleta and pismo.

your pottery makes me lust for more. but i won't be greedy and just enjoy my beautiful pieces i already own. (okay, maybe i'll lust a little.)

xxx

Maggie Ann said...

Your butterfly pottery is beautiful! We had cecropia moths hatch from their cocoons here once upon a time. It was like a miracle ....they walked on our hands and their wingspan was as wide as our hand.( I have a dead (preserved if you please) luna moth in my jewelry box drawer, still all lovely light green. And a praying mantis and a couple of others. Your Queen Alexandria is a beauty!

Lesley Todd said...

Beautiful work, especially love the butterfly handles. The photo of the migration is incredible! I really can't imagine what it must be like standing there in person to witness that! x

dulcy said...

I adore my butterfly cup, and it's displayed with another piece you made with a tiny house. Love all you do! Also, your post with the butterfly backgrounds is wonderful! I'm so looking forward to spring, and lots is starting to sprout about our home.....

Kathryn Glover said...

Julie, You just amaze me with your beautiful pottery and your posts. I love the butterfly handles. We don't get as many butterflies where I live as we used to 10 years ago. So many trees and lawns are sprayed with frequency. I painted a beautiful butterfly on a mural once only to have the installed sconce cover it up. Bad planning on my part. Ummmm! I have a special request coming real soon for you. I so love, love, love your work!

Barbara said...

Cannot imagine seeing butterflies migrate like that.

Your latest pottery is very sweet.

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Wow! This work is beautiful.

Nantucket Mermaid said...

Wow, Julie! When are you going to have all these beauties up for sale? I so loved your wine cups a few posts back. I would love to rock my spirits in one of those! :)

Julie Whitmore Pottery said...

All your wonderful comments inspire me and I appreciate your time in leaving them, dear blogging peeps, Nantucket Mermaid, I've already listed the butterfly cups on etsy, but I have a few more thrown and will be painting later this week.
xx
julie

Connys Cottage said...

Hello,

you are a artist.

Wooooow you make sooooow underful thinks.

greatings send you Conny

*Susycottage* said...

Hello dear, how wonderful the
butterflies that you showed us and you
the paint very well, congratulations!
I read that you have an old book of Cranford ........
WOW! is precious, a relic.
A hug
° ° SUSY

Connys Cottage said...

Hello xxx,

thank you so match for visit my blog.

greatings send you Conny

Kathryn Glover said...

Is it true that moths rest with their wings up and together and butterflies rest with their wings spread? I just love your plate now showing. And I, too, have kitchen chairs that do not match. Yipee!

Julie Whitmore Pottery said...

Dear Kathryn,
I think its the opposite, butterflies rest wings up
and moths down. Its one of the ways to tell them apart. Oh , the chairs, well they do have one thing in common. Old and worn! Yay!

Parisbreakfasts said...

What a delight!
Thank you for stopping by Julie.
I'm thrilled to have found you
xCarolg

Anonymous said...

So lovely, Julie! I LOVE the butterfly handles. :)
Happy Sunday,
Zuzu

GardenOfDaisies said...

My mom would LOVE these cups. She adores birds and butterflies... well actually any living creatures.

Jennifer said...

You're work is worldly and fairy-like at the same time - it has humor and inspiration. I love all the dtails - it's so unique! Happy to have wandered in! Come visit me sometime at jennsthreegraces blogspot jennifer

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