The new series “Butterfly Wings” from Photo Artist Michael Banks was inspired by a renewed and invigorated interest in all things natural.
“Certainly in the last six months, I’ve taken many walks in the woods and mountains near where I live, breathing good, clean air and enjoying the elemental pleasures of Mother Nature, its beauty, textures and smells,” he told InspireDesign.
The artist has been fascinated by the dancing flight of butterflies, what he describes as small, agile and almost weightless creatures, displaying wondrous colors and patterns on their wings.
“I wanted to record that photographically but was timid about trampling over grasses and plants to get near them,” he said.
Banks soon discovered a butterfly sanctuary in the hills nearby his home.
“The place originated from an idea to afford protection for certain rarer species and was constructed in a bio-sphere environment, offering the butterflies an environment as close to natural as possible, where they fly freely among appropriate plants, grasses and foliage,” he explained.
A protective door system allowed Banks to enter what he calls “a kind of Garden of Eden.”
“And with time, quiet and patience, I was able to take some close-up pictures, with zero risk to these delicate animals that show us the beauty of our earth and in a meaningful way, represent the fragility of our wonderful planet.”
