Woman as Butterfly: The Spirit of Ann Saint John Hawley

First-time filmmaker Michelle Vandepas initially introduces the effervescent Ann Saint John Hawley--a multi-faceted octogenarian and talented painter living in Taos, New Mexico--by way of her other creative outlets, including drumming and “sagebrush dancing,” thereby underscoring Hawley's considerable creative drive. Indeed, Woman as Butterfly is as much about discovering creative potential through nature and art as it is a biography of Hawley or a survey of her work. Hawley paints and shares her zestful philosophy of life, while her children hint at family secrets (“the darkness”) that inform her acclaimed, psychologically penetrating works (although these secrets are not revealed). Interestingly, Hawley's greatest artistic outpouring came after her husband's death when she was in her late seventies, a time generally associated with the “autumn of one's years.” Nicely backed by the music of Phil Volan, Julia McKay and Marina Raye, Woman as Butterfly is an enthusiastic portrait of what it takes--no matter what age--to indulge in one's creative side. Recommended for arts, aging and women's studies collections. Aud: C, P. (A. Cantú)