This little Huaorani girl is Nemonte. She is named after her grandmother the eldest woman in the village who is 80 years old. Little Nemonte, much like her grandmother, has grown up with the forest, and already knows which fruits to eat and what insects to stay away from. Nemonte shows us a butterfly (Tigantai in Wao). This butterfly is only small, just a tiny living being in a huge world, but when it flaps its wings the movement it creates in the air can change the course of the universe forever.
In other words everything we do matters. Every move we make and every action we take matters, not only to us but to everyone and everything that’s part of our life and our world today, tomorrow and even long after we’re gone. One single action we take can have a resounding impact on our world for years to come. So be kind, be tolerant and look after the beautiful world we live in so that others in the future can also enjoy it.
I was so lucky that my son Chris was able to spend some time with Nemonte and her family recently. As soon as I knew he was going I knew I had to capture the above idea in a painting. Once I had familiarized myself with her appearance I put the photos away and sketched from my heart to create the image I wanted to paint. The background is purely from my imagination.
Transparent Watercolour 21 by 26 inches on arches 140 lb cold press paper.
