Description
"Mariposa" is Spanish for "butterfly," which is apt for Maria Montessori for many reasons. The butterflies in the background grow exponentially and infinitely, which is my symbolic gesture representing how her heartfelt teachings and practices help children grow into their full beautiful potential. As the butterfly silhouettes grow larger, they begin to resemble angel wings, fitting because Maria Montessori is a saintly and angelic figure in many people's minds and hearts.
My original portrait of Montessori was a gift for the founder and head of the Montessori school that my two sons grew up in. But this is not just a school; everyone involved with our boys became a part of our family, especially their lead guides and the school's founder. They were finally able to open a new campus after years and years of planning (and of course lots of blood, sweat, and tears, literally). The new school is beautiful and amazing, and is a symbol of how hard work, dedication, and love pays off. During their grand opening party, I wanted to give the founder something special as a token of appreciation for the years our sons spent there, so I created the Special Variant of this work solely for her. She told me later that this was "the nicest gift anyone had given her." I was touched, but this is just art. What she and her loving staff did for our boys might be the nicest gift anyone has given us.
Many have asked for "Mariposa" to be available for purchase, but I want it to be unique and special for the person it was made for. Thus, the Special Variant will stay as a one-of-a-kind original and will never go on the market. At the same time, I would feel odd leaving everyone else out. So I have created the slightly augmented Standard Variant here for those of you who - like so many of us the world over - love and appreciate the power and genius of Maria Montessori and want to be able to own a version of this art dedicated to Maria's legacy.
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