Declan Hutton

Chasing Butterflies

Artist statement

My creative practice explores the harmony between graphite pencil – my original obsession – and digital design, my newfound medium. This intersection emerged after years away from art-making, during which I recognized a persistent pattern in my life: starting everything and finishing nothing. I have ADHD and procrastinate relentlessly. My mother says I get it from her. This extreme motivation to perform numerous tasks, only to find myself scattered and unable to perform to my full potential, became the conceptual foundation for this body of work.

**Declan Hutton** is a senior from Johannesburg, South Africa, majoring in business administration-marketing and graphic design and minoring in fine art.

Chasing butterflies represents the way I live my life. Though it can be a tool for success, it hinders my ability to perform wholeheartedly in everything I take on. I'm mindful of this distraction – this personal issue that affects many people worldwide – and this project gives it visual form.

My original creative expressions began with the humble pencil. Developing the ability to translate what I was looking at into line, shadow, and form became an obsession. Focusing on finer details was essential; I didn't just want my work to look pleasing, I wanted it to look captivating. I appreciated the satisfaction of people in awe – it fueled me. It's what drove me to create in the first place. Now, that same drive channels through both traditional and digital media, capturing the beautiful chaos of a mind that chases butterflies.