I’m exciting to share that I’ve created a new puzzle design in collaboration with the Ontario puzzle company The Occurrence. Titled Butterflies of Canada, this collage includes most of the butterfly illustrations I’ve created during my 26-year (and counting) career as a natural science illustrator.
Butterflies of Canada puzzle
To appeal to a range of puzzlers, the Butterflies of Canada puzzle design is available in 1008 piece, 504 piece, and 192 piece versions. (I’ll note here that the puzzle I designed a few years ago—Fishes of the Great Lakes—is also now available in all three sizes.) I originally created the butterfly illustrations for a handful of different projects throughout my career, include a zoo, a magazine, a book, and for an interpretive sign in a natural area. One of the illustrations appeared in a scientific report and then on the poster for a documentary film about the mottled duskywing butterfly in Southern Ontario. All of the 21 butterfly species depicted may be found in Canada, and all but one—the Maritime ringlet—also live in the USA.
Butterflies
From the short blurb about me the back of the Butterflies of Canada puzzle box:
In her youth, her parents gave her a Golden Guide to Butterflies, a butterfly net, and some encouragement to discover the species in her neighbourhood. Not only did these gifts spark her interest in nature, they ensured that butterflies perpetually rank First Place among Emily’s favourite animals.
It’s true—I love butterflies! I spend a lot of time native plant gardening in my own yard and as a volunteer for Pollination Guelph in order to support butterflies and other insects. In addition to planting flowers for nectar, I also plant host species so the caterpillars have something to eat.
When I receive a commission that enables me to spend time learning about and drawing butterflies, it doesn’t feel like work. I was elated when I was able to include butterflies on not just one, but three different designs for coins:
Appearing as a symbol of hope, a butterfly (a Tiger swallowtail) flies through the obverse and takes center stage in the reverse of the Breast Cancer Awareness coin design:
Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin 2018 gold proof © United States Mint; Used with Permission. United States Mint Sculptor-Engravers Phebe Hemphill (obverse) and Renata Gordon (reverse) sculpted this coin.
A Regal fritillary flits above some tall grasses in the design I created for the America the Beautiful Kansas quarter:
2020 America the Beautiful quarter – Kansas; sculpted by Renata Gordon
I think my passion for butterflies came through in a 2017 post I wrote about the unfortunate way butterflies are often depicted in popular culture. (See Please, enough with the dead butterflies!) That post far outranks any other page at my website in any engagement metric, so perhaps I’m not alone in thinking that butterflies deserve better.
The puzzle company
The Occurrence is a unique puzzle company located in the small town of Merrickville, Ontario. Their high quality puzzles are 100% Canadian, from the art to the printing and manufacturing. Their selection of puzzles, according to the website, “is informed and inspired by our passion for Canadian geology, geography, and our collective cultural history. Our goal is to appeal to fellow science nerds and like-minded art geeks.” Check out their store! Unfortunately, due to customs uncertainties and shipping costs, The Occurrence is not currently shipping outside of Canada.