Daphne Butler's Amazing Work

My friend Daphne Butler takes wildlife art to another level. Vivid color, startling realism and searing light are hallmarks of her abundant paintings. A closer look at her pseudo-photo realistic depictions of animals and people will suggest that your eye is fooling you. She paints from flat two-dimensional photographs but through the expert treatment of her medium, she brings her images to life, mimicking the countless colors the eye sees while looking at a three-dimensional object. The result is that she unfailingly gets us "to see what I see through my paintings, to feel the heat, warmth and light of the African sun." Indeed Daphne is a master Colorist, manipulating sizzling masalas of tantalizing shades until their pulsating hues 'pop,' pushing the imagination far beyond the realms of reality. She explains this phenomenon quite simply; "My paintings don't look like photos- photos don't look like life."

Born in Tanzania to a Norwegian father and a Greek Mother, Daphne has lived in Africa all her life. Her fascination with the equatorial sun stems from the unique aspect it gives everyday figures, the way the light bounces off surfaces and illuminates the subject at different times. She loves to paint the wildlife and people of Africa. Her brush deftly captures the hesitant blush of the Maasai girl as she emerges from the manyatta, afternoon shadows dancing on her face. We see the glistening droplets of water on the coastal fisherman's back, the twinkling eyes of scantily clad Samburu boys playing. Above us, the thorny lime green acacia bough seems ready to bend under the weight of a sleepy leopard, whose contentment echoes that of his cousin in another of her paintings; the household cat taking an afternoon siesta.

Her paintings, though definitely realistic, are happy and serene. She endeavors to capture the positive aspects of African life. The ordinary people of her scenes are depicted in cheerful settings, proof of her view that affluence doesn't automatically bring fulfillment. Her portraits take on an ethnographic slant as she deferently conveys the beauty and dignity of the Maasai. She believes "it is a culture that is fast fading away, so it's important to capture it before it gets assimilated." Her subjects are timeless. "People and animals will always be there. I try to imitate the elements of the real world that will never change."

Her inspiration is nature, because as she puts it, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and I think the Greatest Artist is the Creator. You cant improve on nature, so why not showcase it?"

(picture: copyright Daphne Butler)