Cinnabar Moth

8.5cm x 13.5cms

Watercolour, gouache, coloured pencil and gold leaf on board.

This striking moth is nocturnal but may be active during the day if disturbed. Their incredible black and yellow stripy caterpillars feed on ragwort. The bright colours indicate they are distasteful as a warning to preditors. Only cuckoos have overcome the problem and eat the caterpillars. The adults create a brilliant and rare flash of red in the garden.

This is the moth that got me interested in moths in the first place. I found their incredible back and yellow stripy caterpillars feeding on ragwort in the garden and was struck by the brilliant colour scheme.

These exquisite little paintings showcase the beauty of our native moths. Their patterns and colouring is almost jewel-like and as most are nocturnal often completely unknown.  Their modest beauty, sometimes evocative names and nocturnal secrecy fascinates me. They may be overshadowed by their better-known cousins, butterflies but there are currently 2500 moth species to 59 butterflies species in the UK.

I love pattern and embellishment and have extended a lace-like design around each moth, echoing their colours and shapes. I wanted to accentuate the feeling of their preciousness by including gold leaf, which makes the paintings dance in the light.

These come carefully wrapped, signed and unframed.

They would look best framed with a large white mount, to help accentuate the painting. Please get in touch if any framing guidance would be helpful.

Delivery is by Royal Mail tracked and signed.