Promise of Renewal

“Promise of Renewal” is inspired not by a specific butterfly. It is a symbol of a butterfly with the color orange, a volatile secondary hue. A 17th-century female naturalist, Maria Sibylla Merian, was the first to scientifically document and beautifully illustrate butterfly metamorphosis. This image was created by etching metal, hand-wiping ink and registering two plates per archival paper through a hand-operated press. I give thanks to my UD printmaking professor Brother Joseph Barrish, S.M. ’50, for his excellent teaching.