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“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible”
paul klee
eyal holtzman
Song of the Butterfly
Handcrafted & hand-painted butterflies collection
I always loved butterflies. I used to collect them as a child, but at some point I stopped. I couldn’t bear having to kill them.
Now, in my project “Song of the Butterfly”, I explore the fine line between art and reality by creating butterflies from wood and painting them by hand. I frame them with their (scientific) names, but without glass and without pins: they’re free, as it were, to come and go as they please.
Living in the Netherlands, I chose to concentrate on real, native species: this is my humble ode to nature. My pieces are, however, slightly larger than life-size; while still looking real, this emphasizes their grace and presence.
A selection of these handmade butterflies is presented below.
Some time around 1975...
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eyal holtzman
Song of the Butterfly
Handcrafted & hand-painted butterflies collection
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Song of the Butterfly is on exhibition at the gallery of Elisabeth Vreedehuis from August 23 to October 9, 2022
A fantastic post about Song of the Butterfly by the Dutch Butterfly Conservation foundation.
I regulartly share new work in progress on social media: Facebook and Instagram
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Many pieces have already been sold. New ones can be commissioned, and usually take about two or three weeks to complete. Just like in nature, they’re similar but never identical; each piece is unique. You can follow the process and see the end result before delivery.
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All the pieces are for sale and can be shipped internationally. Each image links to a separate page with price and details.
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Watch on YouTube a video of the whole process, from a piece of wood to a framed butterfly:
Each piece begins with a shape study: what defines it? Which silhouette is the most distinctive and recognizable?
I use a jigsaw to cut out the shapes from fine-grained, recycled cherry wood.
I get the basic three dimensional form with mechanical sanders.
With jewelers files, multi-tools, scalpels and sandpaper I fine tune and add detail, eyes and hair.
I use various colourfast, pigment-rich pencils, gouache and acrylic paints for the artwork.
I place the end result in a handmade frame with its scientific name, but without glass and without pins: it’s free, as it were, to come and go as it pleases.
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I studied Graphic & Typographic Design, graduating from the Royal Academy of Art (kabk) in The Hague in 1996. I have been active as an independent artist, designer and lecturer, teaching at art academies in Holland and China. Since 2007 I have been co-running graphic design agency Studio Eyal & Myrthe, specializing in books and typography.
* In this website I used my own typeface Kristal, which is available at type foundry Bold Monday.
E-mail: eyal@songofthebutterfly.art
Whatsapp: +31-6-1909-5460
Facebook: /songofthebutterfly.art
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“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible”
paul klee
