The mysterious return of a piece of schoolboy artwork has allowed Robert Haworth to emerge from his chrysalis and become "the Butterfly Man". PAULINE HAWKINS met him.

ONE thing was consistent in Robert Haworth's childhood -- his love of butterflies.

He couldn't explain his fascination, but he enjoyed drawing and painting them and, when he was eight years old, produced a prize-winning image of a foil butterfly behind glass.

Robert gave the picture to his mother, but she died when he was 10 and the treasured picture disappeared.

But in a strange twist of fate it has surfaced again -- and Robert wonders whether, somehow, his mother is guiding his budding career as an artist.

Robert's award-winning picture was designed at Wilkinson House children's home in Blackburn, where he was taught by Mr Golder. His effort was so good that it won a prize within the home, beating efforts from much older children.

Nineteen years later, it has pride of place on the wall at 27-year-old Robert's terrace home in Kime Street, Burnley, which he shares with girlfriend Jayne Hitchon and their seven-month-old son Joshua.

Where the picture went to when it left Sylvia Haworth's possession Robert has no idea, but its last known whereabouts was a Chinese restaurant in Manchester. Robert has discovered the owner was shutting the business down and was about to throw the picture away when a man said he would take it off the owner's hands.

But the man's wife did not like the picture and its new owner, the father of one of Robert's friends, knew he enjoyed butterfly artwork and gave it to him. Robert said: "He did not know it was my picture. When I first saw it, it hit me a little bit. Then I sat on my bed and it hit me right between the eyes. I was crying."

Since the re-emergence of the artwork Robert has gone on to exhibit his drawings to a wider audience. He has painted and drawn more than 100 butterfly images, some of which are on display in Colne Library until the middle of next week.

He has also exhibited at The Lowry in Salford and the prestigious Colin Jellicoe Gallery in Manchester.

Robert is rightly proud of his achievements and that he has not had to study at art college to have his work recognised. He considers he was taught by a professional artist while he was at school and learned a range of techniques which have stood him in good stead.

The award-winning artwork he produced as a child was created by drawing the outline of a butterfly on a sheet of glass. Then, using a rag with an opaque liquid similar to calamine lotion, he painted around the outline, leaving only the butterfly wings untouched. These were then filled in using crumpled foil to create the impression of delicate, vein-filled wings before being attached to a frame.

Following his exhibition success Robert has set up a website -- www.iamthebutterflyman.com -- for a worldwide audience to view his intricate images.

There is a brief profile of the artist, describing his youth as a "challenging childhood", but not going into the fact that he spent much of his early years moving from one children's home to another, and from foster family to foster family.

And there are colourful thumbnail pictures of a range of butterflies which can be clicked on to open them in greater size and detail.

Shoppers who want to see Robert's work up close, and possibly buy an original painting as a Christmas present, can view his pictures on Burnley market on the Saturdays leading up to Christmas.

Robert, who is also father to Sylvia, eight, and four-year-old Bethany, said: "Some are selling, but I am not after the money -- I enjoy doing it. I just can't stop drawing."

He would now like to see his images converted into other media -- such as wallpaper -- and is busy writing to manufacturers for their views. There is also scope for them to be printed on cups and T-shirts and made into jigsaws.

But Robert's plans don't end there. He aims to start college next September and pursue a catering career with the ultimate ambition of opening up his own restaurant -- and displaying his butterfly pictures on the walls. "They are both an art form," he said.