His style is epitomized by kinetic sculptures made from recycled tin or wood, which he embellished with saturated colors and geometric patterns.

His time spent entertaining and caring for his younger siblings, which fed the creativity and whimsy that later fueled his art work.

Desegregation and the civil rights movement made life in southern Louisiana increasingly difficult for African American communities.

"[6][8] After his retirement, Butler began to adorn his home and yard by turning used tin into flowers for his garden,[7] window coverings (which he called "spirit shields"[8]), and "whirligigs" that moved according to the winds.

He was famous for riding, as his only transportation, a bicycle meticulously decorated with found and created objects that spun and moved as the wheels turned.

He primarily worked with recycled tin and other found, malleable metals to create sculptures and 2-dimensional silhouettes, which decorated his home and its surroundings.

He told his friend and fellow sculptor, John Geldersma, that these window coverings were "spirit shields," which protected him from the negativity that plagued him after the death of his wife.

Even after Butler's relocation from his ransacked home to an assisted living facility, his children continued to replicate his work and sell it to potential buyers.