“Small Wonders” is meant to bring the small, everyday creatures in our world to our attention and celebrate their beauty and importance.  The goal of the piece is to spur a brief sense of wonder in its viewers and for these viewers to realize that the opportunity to be awestruck is found all around them in nature. 

The piece was created using a mix of digital painting and generative art practices.  Procreate was used to draw the butterflies and leaves and TouchDesigner and Notch were used to create a digital world in which the butterflies exist. 

The butterflies and their environment are made to look like 2D paper, while their motions and interactions exist in a 3D, digital world.  The butterflies are generative. They act as a particle system and are controlled by random noise, meaning that every time this video is rendered, the butterflies would act differently.  The music is a layered improvisation on violin.