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Xerces Blue 

“Julie stood in the studio of our cottage, brush poised mid-air, staring at the nearly finished painting. A single butterfly, delicate and radiant, hovering timelessly in the transparent glass. Its wings of silence shimmered in iridescent shades of blue—ultramarine fading to silver, like twilight over the Pacific. The Xerces Blue.”

No one had seen one alive since the 1940s.
She had spent days researching it story and very reference she found whispered the same truth: extinct. Pushed out by concrete and chemicals, their dune habitat swallowed by San Francisco’s sprawl.
But this painting wasn’t meant to be a scientific reconstruction. Julie hadn’t painted the butterfly to archive it. She painted it to resurrect it—if only for a moment, if only in scratched glass and acrylic.
As I stare at the haunting blue sprit hanging our pale blue walls, I sometimes imagine her walking along the pacific coast with our granddaughter one day and I listen to their conversations. Julie points to a patch of sand where wildflowers poked through the dunes and says,” They used to fly here… the tiny blue ghosts.”
All of Julie’s butterflies, months, dragonflies, bees, cicadas and ladybugs are special to her but I have noticed this one is uniquely special and holds a sacred place in her heart.
This butterfly wasn’t frozen in a specimen box. It hovers midair between the pine frames, wings caught in motion, as if the wind from the sea had just lifted it into flight. She painted it not with nostalgia, but with reverence—a tribute to what was lost, and a warning to what still might be.
As she gazes quietly in front of the painting, it feels for a brief moment, the butterfly seemed to shimmer with life, poised to lift off into the sky. Julie smiled softly, placing the brush down.
“Fly again,” she whispers.
And in our cozy cottage filled with the scent of old wood frames and maybe a hint of salt in the air, the Xerces Blue soars once more.

Original: NFS

Original reverse painted with acrylics on vintage window by Artist Julie Catlett, Joplin Missouri

Prints available

Moonlight Messenger

“On a still summer night, under the soft glow of a pale moon, the green Luna moth took flight.”

Painted in delicate washes of watercolors, hand made with healing spring water, her wings glow in shades of mint and jade, each one edged with fine sepia ink lines that gave her an otherworldly grace. I chose the vintage hand made tea-stained paper as the canvas, as its warm, the imperfect tones echoing the passage of time—like a forgotten letter found in an old drawer.
This moth is not just a creature of the night. She is a story of whispered brushstrokes, a timeless messenger. Silent, ethereal, and ancient, she carries the secrets of dreams by moonlight between the worlds of conscious and unconscious.
For those who saw her—truly saw her—it is said to receive a sign: a new beginning, a rebirth, and the courage to breath and begin again.
The painting is a glimpse into that fleeting moment, when nature and childlike wonder meet under a amethyst hued sky. A still and peaceful reminder that some beauty can only be found in the deep quietness of the night.

Original: $100.00 Sold

Original watercolor and ink on vintage paper painted by Artist Chuck Catlett, Joplin Missouri

Currently Available in 4×6 and 5×7 Prints (limited supplies)

5 ” Hand-Painted Butterfly Crystal Suncatcher

This 5-inch round crystal suncatcher is a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted original by Joplin, Missouri artist Julie Catlett. Each butterfly is painted in reverse on the back of polished clear glass, allowing the colors and fine details to glow as light passes through. The translucent acrylic paint and smooth, finished edges create a luminous piece that sparkles in sunlight and feels both delicate and enduring.
Designed to be displayed year-round, this butterfly suncatcher serves as a quiet reminder of hope, resilience, and transformation.

The Meaning Behind the Butterfly
Butterflies hold special significance for Julie. She is a survivor of the devastating EF5 tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri in 2011. In the aftermath of the storm, many survivors shared stories of so-called “butterfly people”—gentle, unexplainable helpers seen aiding the injured and comforting those in need during the chaos.
Over time, butterflies became a symbol of hope and remembrance throughout Joplin. Today, you’ll find butterfly murals, sculptures, and memorials across the city—quiet markers of resilience and healing.
Julie’s butterfly paintings are inspired by that legacy. Each one is created as a small tribute to survival, kindness, and the light that remains even after profound loss.
“A Thoughtful, Meaningful Gift”

This butterfly suncatcher makes a heartfelt gift for moments of remembrance, encouragement, sympathy, or celebration—perfect for memorials, anniversaries, or simply honoring someone who has endured and grown.
One collector shared:

“My lady friend positively loved the ornament—so much so that she is going to display it on its own, year round.”
— Chad S.

Original: $125.00 Available

Details
Size: 5 inches round
Material: Polished clear glass
Paint: Acrylic, reverse-painted by hand
Style: Butterfly, symbolic nature art
Origin: Hand-painted in Joplin, Missouri
Quantity: One-of-a-kind original

Original glass and acrylic by artist Julie Catlett, Joplin Missouri

Of  Wooden Shelves and Crystal Jars

There are places within the heart that even the wisest sages cannot explain…”

…vast, eternal worlds hidden in the folds of the spirit, flickering just beyond waking thought. I’ve brushed against them in those drifting seconds between dreaming and dawn, and in the ancient whispers that rise with a moonlit fire. Humanity has spent centuries trying to paint, sculpt, and write these inner landscapes into existence. Jung called them archetypes, echoes of a “collective consciousness,” patterns inherited through memory and myth.
This “Moondominium” as I call them is my own imagined sanctuaries. A timeless abode tucked away in that secret realm.
A crescent cottage moon cladded by creek worn cobblestones, a weathered redwood door, crumbling plaster and warm, pale lights glowing softly. Vines curl lovingly around its frame, climbing toward the two round windows set deep in aged oak wood. It’s the sort of dwelling you might stumble upon only in dreams, where the air hums with quiet magic and the familiar meets the fantastic.
Inside, if one were to dare and cross the threshold, wooden shelves would line the curved walls, and each shelf would hold delicate crystal jars. Some jars shimmer with beautiful memories, some sealed and pushed back in the darks as if never to open. Others glow with wonders not yet discovered. And among them sit empty jars, untouched and waiting to be filled.
These empty vessels are where the artisan’s magic begins.
For artists are the alchemists of our age, blending the treasures of the past with the unopened mysteries of tomorrow. They create something more precious than gold: reflections of the heart, shaped by imagination and illuminated by wonder.
This piece, “Of Wooden Shelves and Crystal Jars” is one such reflection. A doorway into the hidden worlds we all carry, inviting you to step inside, wander, and remember the places you thought only existed in dreams.

Original: $125.00

6.5 in x 6.5 in matted to fit 11 in x 11 in frame

Original ink and dry watercolor by Artist Chuck Catlett, Joplin Missouri

Prints available