Sherry C. Nelson - Painting Butterflies & Blooms with Sherry C. Nelson

PAINTING
Butterflies
& Blooms
with Sherry C. Nelson

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Painting Butterflies & Blooms with Sherry C. Nelson. Copyright 2010 by Sherry C. Nelson. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. The patterns and drawings in this book are for the personal use of the reader. By permission of the author and publisher, they may be either hand-traced or photocopied and enlarged or reduced to any size to make single copies, but under no circumstances may they be resold or republished. It is permissible for the purchaser to paint the designs contained herein and sell them at fairs, bazaars, and craft shows. No other part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. The content of this book has been thoroughly reviewed for accuracy. However, the author and publisher disclaim any liability for any damages, losses or injuries that may result from the use or misuse of any product or information presented herein. It is the purchasers responsibility to read and follow all instructions and warnings on all product labels.

Published by North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First edition.
Other fine North Light Books are available from your local bookstore, art supply store, online supplier or visit our website at www.fwmedia.com.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Nelson, Sherry C.
Painting butterflies & blooms with Sherry C. Nelson / Sherry C. Nelson. -- 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-60061-332-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Butterflies in art. 2. Moths in art. 3. Flowers in art. 4. Painting--Technique. I. Title. II. Title: Painting butterflies and blooms with Sherry C. Nelson.
ND1380.N446 2010
751.45'43--dc22

2009036079

Edited by Kathy Kipp
Cover designed by Clare Finney
Layout by Doug Mayfield
Production coordinated by Mark Griffin

Photograph .
Photographs on used by permission of Kirby Wolfe.
Photograph used by permission of Genevieve Allen.
Photographs used by permission of P.J. Dalton.

All step-by-step and other reference photography by Deborah Ann Galloway.

METRIC CONVERSION CHART

DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my friend, my business partner and my cohort in butterfly and moth photography, Deborah Ann Galloway. Deb and I began working on the references necessary for this book several years ago. Its Deby who shot all the step-by-step photos for this book, provided most of the beautiful shots used as reference for the designs, took a botany class to learn more about plant identification, and helped me in countless ways through the many steps and hundreds of hours of work that goes into a book such as this. Without her, this book would not be in your hands. And without her help, I could not do what I do. Thanks, Deb, one more time!

And thanks to all of you who have bought this book, for the love of butterflies (and moths!). May the book encourage your creativity and inspire your brush. Your desire to paint realistic butterflies and blooms has been our inspiration.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to my dear friend and teacher, John Cody. Johns beautiful book, Wings of Paradise, was the contributing factor in my fascination for the beautiful Saturniidae. Classes with John and my friendship with this renowned artist, whose watercolor paintings of silkmoths have hung in galleries and museums worldwide, has been a highlight in my life.

Kirby Wolfe, Copaxa expert and professional moth man, your friendship and support is priceless. Thank you for generous permission to paint from your incomparable photography, for sharing your knowledge unstintingly, and for pointing us amateur moth-ers in the light direction. We cherish memorable nights on a mercury-vapor-lit mountaintop in Costa Rica and in Cave Creek Canyon in the company of moths and good friends.

Thank you, Dr. Marilyn Loveless, professor of Biology at Wooster College, Ohio. Your help with identification of all things green and growing is so much appreciated. We might someday get better at it with your help.

Many thanks to Kim Garwood, co-author of the only series of photographic checklists of living butterflies of the Neotropics, who has been a steady support and resource for me. For North America, use the Kaufman Guide. For the tropics, all you need is Kim.

Several of the designs in this book have been inspired by the gracious contributions of friends who have shared their lovely photography with me: Marilyn Kerr, Genevieve Allen and P.J. Dalton all helped make this book special.

And thanks to Laura Nordin, who raises butterflies, is a knowledgeable resource on caterpillar host plants and keeps me excited about the leps on a day-to-day basis.

Jan and Pete Peterson, many thanks for allowing two tired photographers on a butterfly mission to share your home.

And at North Light Books: Thanks without measure to Kathy Kipp, dear friend and ace editor, who makes it all happen. Kathy is incredibly skilled at bringing out the best in her authors, and I cannot thank her enough for her help, her talent, her limitless patience and most of all, her friendship through the eclosion of another book. Thanks also to other members of my editorial team, who each bring their own special skills to bear in making yet another lovely book come to life: Clare Finney and Doug Mayfield, who designed the beauitful cover and interior, Adam Hand, who so ably assisted us with the technicalities of digital photography, and Mark Griffin, production coordinator who shepherded this book through the printing process.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherry C. Nelsons career in painting has stretched across nearly 39 years, and has been shaped by her love of the natural world and its creatures. First and foremost she is a teacher, and has shared her wildlife painting techniques with thousands of students in every single state and in many countries around the world.

If painting and teaching are her career and first love, then field study and identification are Sherrys obsession. Travel teaching has provided an unparalleled opportunity to see the moths and butterflies of the world along with her students. Sherry is an accomplished and knowledgeable naturalist and shares her love of the worlds creatures, as well as painting, with her students. She claims that field study is so addictive that its often tempting to forsake paintbrush for binoculars. And its the field work that brings realism to the Butterflies and flowers she paints, endowing each species with the special characteristics that make it look real.