ABSTRACT
The butterfly comprises more than 100,000 species. It has different colorful patterns on and beneath the wings for safety reasons. With every flapping of the wings, two different patterns are exposed at interval. The artist was influenced by this phenomenon. This has fundamental philosophical parallels in life. The wings of the butterfly therefore provide a fulcrum on which a profound philosophy in painting can evolve. A review of literature and works were carried out to show the contribution of some artists who have done similar work with butterflies. Collection of data was by means of studies, drawings and sketches from selected butterflies that were collected from the insect museum. It was also from photographs and illustrations in textbooks. Various sketches were later made and developed from the selected butterfly forms and motifs. These were translated into detailed analytical representational drawings and paintings. The study was categorized into two major stages but with two components each. a) Representational Stage i) Exploratory - flowers and butterflies in a landscape ii) Forms and motifs b) Developmental Stage i) Total transformation ii) Figural infusing Sixteen works were executed in the course of this research and presented as plates. The research recommends the need for modern artist to return to nature because nature provides for the studies of the elements and principles of design as well as for the understanding of some concepts in life.