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When I started this painting, I thought about the swallows that return every year to our farmhouse in Besalú, create their nests, have offspring, feed them, and teach them to fly. Then, at the end of summer, they leave again to the south, looking for warmer horizons.

After painting the swallows, I realized that the picture was incomplete. It didn't convey much to me; it seemed boring. So, I continued to incorporate elements and colors that infused it with a deeper sense of intimacy.

The Machaon caterpillar also serves as a reference to the farmhouse. I discovered it one day in my garden, crawling on one of the branches of my plants. I can't recall which one it was, but I found it so beautiful and colorful that I immediately grabbed my phone to capture a picture of it and include it in my personal collection of animals and vegetation, which I typically use as a foundation for my paintings.

The symbolism of caterpillars is well-known: transformation, transition, change, maturity... It's no coincidence that it is reflected here...

Next came the beetle, which, for many, represents a symbol of luck, strength, perseverance, connection with nature, and, especially, constant changes in life.

There is a swallow perched with its wings open on the beetle, embracing it, trusting it, allowing itself to be carried away, perhaps for a while, I don't know. Meanwhile, the beetle continues on, radiating its inner light filled with warmth, perseverance, strength, and serenity.

The beetle was followed by the blue bulb, which originates from a variation of what was originally an image of a cucurbit fruit. To me, it signifies the magic of transformation, the beauty and mystery of what is yet to be discovered.

Lastly, I incorporated the seed of the dandelion, which, in this case, symbolizes freedom. Yet, being so light, it has no choice but to trust the wind, which will carry it to its new destination, where it may develop and evolve.

For those who know me, it will be easy to identify many parallels between this painting and my life over the past 10 years. What started as a simple idea transformed into a radical and more complex journey. The change hasn't been easy, just as the development and completion of this painting weren't either. However, I am fortunate and free to pursue it and take risks.

Thanks to the universe. Thank you. Thanks to myself.

Isabel Barroso García.