.      Before faux bronzing

. Final rear

.     Final front

This work was inspired by the Bob Lind ballad of 1966, "The Elusive Butterfly" , the lyrics of which are in part:

"You might wake up some morning

To the sound of something moving past your window in the wind

And if you're quick enough to rise

You'll catch the fleeting glimpse of someone's fading shadow

Out on the new horizon you may see the floating motion of a distant pair of wings

And if the sleep has left your ears

You might hear footsteps running through an open meadow

Don't be concerned it will not harm you

It's only me pursuing something I'm not sure of

Across my dreams, with nets of wonder, I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love "

The full text of the lyrics of  this ballad can be found on  http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/lyrics3/Elusive_Butterfly_Bob_Lind_lyrics.html

Originally I planned to have the male figure looking up at the butterfly as he caught it in his net.  But then it struck me that perhaps it might be more poignant and real if he was looking elsewhere and had not realised that the elusive butterfly was already caught in "his net of wonder".   That the pursuer is still looking for his dream without realising that he has already achieved his objective is a deliciously ironic comment on our human foibles and condition.  Often we run around chasing an elusive notion and are so busy in our endevours that we don't stop long enough to realise that we have already achieved what we wanted when we set out.