PAPER KITE

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CD0BAE2A-C185-404E-B889-E1CE20DD94F7_1_105_c.jpeg

PAPER KITE

$990.00

Jill Leeson
21” x 18” (Framed, Museum Optium)
Watermedia

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The paper kite butterfly is considered humble in both its behavior and its physical appearance.  A paper kite becomes poisonous by eating toxic host plants as a caterpillar, sequestering those plant chemicals into its own body, making both caterpillars and adult butterflies taste awful and cause predators to vomit. Its striking black-and-white pattern is a warning to predators, signaling its toxic nature. 

Rather than darting frantically, it glides through the air with a slow, leisurely rhythm, moving more like a drifting piece of paper or a floating kite than a frantic insect. This slow, graceful flight and distinctive black-and-white pattern act as 'humble' warning signals.  Behaving lazy or unconcerned, yet predators learn to leave it alone, allowing it to flaunt its defenses without much effort, symbolizing quiet confidence rather than aggressive modesty.