The Making of the Guardian Snake

 

I’m not going to lie—it was pretty nerve-wracking to paint over a piece I had finished 11 months earlier, a piece I was proud of and had spent months creating. But I found myself doing just that, repainting a key element of the artwork because of a chance meeting with someone who had exactly what I needed in her pocket.

But before we get into that, here's the story behind the painting...

A Guardian Appears

I used to be afraid of snakes, even though I rarely saw them. During a particularly tough time in my life, I lived next to an old man who lashed out at me for reasons I didn’t understand. I bit my tongue often while being screamed at, and I only cried when the door closed behind me. This man's erratic and dangerous behavior left me feeling completely alone and unprotected in my own home.

 

(Photograph by William Sherman, Getty Images)

 

But then, something remarkable started happening. On nearly every walk I took, a snake appeared. She’d be resting under a tree, crossing the road ahead, or hanging harmlessly from branches. Over time, I grew to know her presence, and she became my guardian—a quiet, steadfast protector.

And yes, this snake didn't show up in my neighborhood to confront my bully. BUT her uncanny appearance on every walk I took felt like a promise that I wasn't alone and that nobody would hurt me while I found a new place to live... which is exactly how the next 3 months went.

The Painting

The painting I made to honor this guardian features a Black Rat Snake coiled harmlessly on a bed of soft yellow moss. Above her, a beautiful Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly floats, its wings caught mid-flap.

 

 

For this painting, I wanted a butterfly in a really specific pose—a pose where the viewer was looking down at the butterfly while it held its wings raised skyward, mid-flight. I searched for weeks but couldn’t find the perfect reference photo.

Finally, I settled on a preserved specimen from a nature center’s insect collection, painted the butterfly in this flat pose, and called the painting complete.

But... the butterfly still bothered me a little. 

 


(Photograph by Shannon Mcgrath)


The Chance Meeting

I ended up placing the painting in a show about six months later. At the opening, a woman approached me and wanted to share her story. She told me she had lost her mother just a few months earlier. While she grieved, a Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly appeared in her garden and stayed around her for hours. Most beautiful of all, she felt an undeniable connection to her mother through this butterfly.

When she showed me the photograph of this insect on her phone, I knew instantly—it was the EXACT reference I had been searching for all along. Wings upright and deep yellow in the sun. She kindly gave me permission to use her special photograph and share the story. I couldn’t wait to repaint the butterfly even as it hung in the show.

The Repainting

Repainting the butterfly breathed new life into the piece. Not only did I repaint the butterfly exactly how I had always envisioned it, I also added more details, like acorns, specks of dirt, and scattered forest debris across the moss, bringing a deeper sense of the forest floor.

Here it is finished...

 


A photograph of a painting of a black rat snake and a yellow swallowtail butterfly on a gray wall.

"The Swallowtail and the Black Rat Snake", 24" x 24", acrylic paint on canvas. 


The Magic of Connection

Moments like this remind me why I create art. Connections like these affirm that I’m on the right path, one where the world reveals its quiet magic to those who are open to seeing it.

The process of repainting wasn’t just about improving the painting; it was about honoring the profound stories and connections that emerge when we share our lives and our art.

What do you think? Do you prefer the old painting or the new? 

 


A painting of a black rat snake and a yellow swallowtail butterfly hanging on a white wall in a cozy modern living room.

 

Interested in making this painting a part of your story? Click here to check out the original painting. And here if you'd like to look at picking up a limited edition print. 

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.