Blending Art, Emotion, and Environmental Awareness
Ona Kingdon, award-winning artist and author, discusses her creative journey, the inspiration behind The Paper Butterfly, her artistic techniques, environmental themes, and the delicate balance between nature’s beauty and its challenges.
Ona Kingdon is a rare talent whose work transcends the boundaries between art and storytelling. An internationally acclaimed artist and award-winning author, she has captivated audiences with her breathtaking watercolour illustrations and deeply evocative narratives. Her passion for the natural world, particularly her dedication to monarch butterflies, has not only shaped her artistry but has also become a defining theme in her literary works.
Through masterpieces such as The Paper Butterfly, Ona weaves intricate tales that celebrate the delicate beauty of nature while addressing the pressing environmental challenges of our time. Her unique ability to blend emotional synesthesia with visual storytelling results in works that are as immersive as they are thought-provoking. Whether she is sketching the gentle flutter of butterfly wings or painting the raw power of a storm, every brushstroke and word she crafts carries a profound sense of wonder.
In this exclusive interview with Reader’s House, Ona Kingdon shares the inspirations behind her latest book, the artistic techniques that shape her storytelling, and the profound messages she hopes to impart to readers of all ages. It is an honour to showcase her extraordinary work and invite you to step into the world she so vividly brings to life.
Ona Kingdon masterfully intertwines art and storytelling, crafting poignant narratives that inspire, educate, and immerse readers in nature’s breathtaking wonders.
What inspired you to choose a paper butterfly as the central character in your narrative?
I’m passionate about the natural world. My garden is officially registered as a Canadian Wildlife Garden and a Monarch Waystation. Visitors describe it as a place of tranquility; a haven for wildlife. For me, it’s also a constant source of inspiration.
Three summers ago, while attaching a tiny ‘Monarch Watch’ paper tag to a newly emerged butterfly, I felt compelled to write and illustrate a story about its life, including its incredible migration south.
Unlike humans, monarchs do not learn through parental instruction or education; much of their behaviour is innate. So, while I wanted to include a monarch as one of my main characters, I also wanted my protagonist to be someone who would discover and learn about the challenges monarchs face so my readers could learn organically with her.
So, why a paper butterfly?
The character of the paper butterfly evolved because the Monarch Watch tags are made of paper. A single piece of paper is also known as a ‘leaf,’ and butterflies shelter under leaves to protect themselves against the elements. From these connections, ‘The Paper Butterfly’ was born.
How did your background as an artist influence the creation and illustration of ‘The Paper Butterfly’?
I experience emotional synesthesia, meaning I see emotions as colours. While we all connect colours to feelings – think of phrases like “feeling blue” or “seeing red” – my experience is more direct. This greatly influenced the approach I took when writing because the emotional elements were as crucial as the narrative itself. I didn’t just want a story about the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. I imagined a story about belonging, growth, mutual impact, joy, sorrow, resilience, and loss.
The illustrations became glimpses into the world of a butterfly, with all its intertwined emotions. My colour palette in each painting plays with the cool and warm spectrum to enhance the emotions conveyed in the narrative, to draw you in closer and make you feel more connected, or to distance you from dangers. Hence, you feel involved but not personally threatened.
How do you balance the delicate beauty of life with the environmental challenges faced by monarch butterflies in your storytelling?
The Beauty of life and balance are naturally intertwined. We can’t truly appreciate joy without understanding sorrow, nor good days without experiencing bad ones. This book, while raising crucial environmental issues like habitat loss, the interconnectedness of life, and the impact of climate change, also encourages readers to pause and recognize the beauty surrounding us.
Although the paper butterfly and child of the moon witness the terrifying dangers of human encroachment firsthand, they also encounter compassion and care from a young child and his grandmother in this unfamiliar environment. While they endure the terror of fire consuming their habitat, they also learn that although rain can be potentially dangerous, it ultimately helps them.
The veteran monarch’s explanation of his tattered wings also delivers a powerful message: scars are not negative signs of defeat but beautiful testaments to survival. Our interpretation of experiences and how we respond to them shape our lives and our feelings. I wanted to convey this message: Life is about balance.
How do you incorporate your visual storytelling skills into your writing to enhance the reader’s experience?
Since our brains naturally gravitate towards visuals first, specifically to areas of high contrast or colours that evoke a sense of connection or distance, I aimed to use the illustrations to set the scene, tone, and emotion. As the reader turns the pages, I wanted the emotional elements to flow seamlessly. If the text built tension, the illustration needed to amplify that feeling, not undermine it. Therefore, choosing which parts of the text to illustrate was inextricably linked to the layout of the words on the page and whether the words themselves were more powerful on their own or needed visual support.
I had a clear vision for its design. I imagined the majority of the illustrations as if they were seen through the paper butterfly’s eyes, offering glimpses into her perspective. I wanted the paintings to be integral to the story’s flow, not just randomly placed additions. Their position and size were as important to me as the text itself.
What challenges did you encounter while blending environmental themes with a children’s narrative, and how did you overcome them?
It didn’t feel like a challenge but more of an opportunity. As the paper butterfly learns about the world around her, environmental themes such as habitat loss easily weave into the story. The characters she meets also evolved to help raise her awareness and question the key themes of habitat loss, host plants, the interconnectedness of life, and several other key concepts.
If my book can encourage people to dwell upon the questions the paper butterfly asks as she interacts with the world around her, then it has been successful. If there is discussion or reflection, then even better. Many of the questions the paper butterfly asks have no right or wrong answer. This, in itself, is an important lesson, especially for children. Very little in life is black or white, yes or no. It is also okay not to know the whole answer.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors aiming to intertwine art and storytelling in their works?
As an artist and author, stay authentic to your vision. Craft your words to create a strong atmosphere and connect deeply with your audience. Then, use visuals to enhance that experience, blending them seamlessly with your text.
In the world around us, we don’t just hear a sound in isolation. We see the environment, smell the air, and feel the resulting emotions – a full-sensory experience. Reading should be the same. Strive to engage as many senses as possible to create a richer, more immersive experience for your readers.
