Encaustic Painting: Missing Monarchs

"Missing Monarchs"

23” x 34” encaustic (beeswax) on wood

This painting was inspired by Milkweed blooming in my garden next to my outdoor studio. I often see Monarchs flutter past me while I paint. I have a lot of butterflies, so I was surprised to learn that in 2002, 270 million Monarch butterflies died due to freezing temperatures while they were wintering in Mexico.

A Boca Raton organization established in 1993 by Chris Singer, Live Monarch Foundation, offers Milkweed seeds for free in order to restore their habitat loss across North America. The Monarch butterflies migrate from the eastern seaboard to the mountains of central Mexico up to Canada and sometimes the butterflies do not survive due to weather, food and human encroachment.

Please consider planting Milkweed in your garden or in a pot on your patio. Each adult Monarch butterfly needs more than one plant to survive. Milkweed is native to Florida, so it will survive happily in your garden.

I have found that children learn to love the environment and its tiny creatures by participating. It's pretty easy to put a few seeds in your garden. I am sure everyone will love watching the Milkweeds grow and to see the Monarch's cycle from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly all in your own backyard.

International Park(ing) Day 2010 in Coconut Grove

Park(ing) Day in Coconut day was a hugh success! Not so much with large crowds, but it was a launching pad for future Park(ing) Days in Miami. I had to explain Park(ing) Day to almost everyone I met. The only ones who really knew about it were there volunteering. For those of you who still don't know... Park(ing) Day is celebrated in many cities around the country to bring awareness to green spaces and environmental issues. Its where you take street parking spaces and turn them into parklike green spaces.

Biking is encouraged, especially on Park(ing) Day. We had a few people ride their bikes and used the green space to park them.

When I arrived there was much to do. We did have some help from the city parks department. They brought the sod to us and helped place it.

Pie studios brought their beautiful eco furniture for everyone to enjoy.

Here is our working crew, thankfully not afraid to get their hands dirty.

Students from FIU shared the space with me. They used reclaimed milk cartons to make seating.

I met these three very green young women who sketched with me and even made a sign to get people driving by to think about green space.

It was a fun day that I was proud to be a part of. I loved sitting in our green space sketching and talking about green ideas with green people all while connecting the environment to art.

To see more photos, check out the Coconut Grove Grapevine.