Butterfly Nerves

Oil Paint | 24” x 36” | © 2017

This piece is a play on the phrase, “butterflies in your stomach.” Being a person who dealt with a lot of social anxiety when I created this piece, I wanted to visual represent that feeling. A lot of people have experienced stage freight at some point in their life, whether in a grade school school play or giving a big presentation to their boss. Social anxiety is similar to the feeling of stage freight which is why I put velvet blue curtains in the background, she is on a stage.

Social anxiety was a mystery to me. I just did not understand why I felt anxious in certain situations for no reason. That is why the young woman is curiously observing the butterfly on her finger.