Johnny admiring the butterflies at Bristol Zoo Gardens, England. Acrylic on Canvas (Daniel Graham)

Swooping from plant to plant, the butterflies of Bristol Zoo Gardens are quite marvelous to watch. Catching Johnny’s eye, a glasswinged butterfly dances through the humidity of the house and lands on a banana plant. He gazes up at the lepidoptera, its wings transparent, its proboscis curled.

I painted this portrait of Johnny with the ambition of capturing the studious and captivated look marked across the entirety of his face.