Elephant Hawkmoth

8.5cm x 13.5cms

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

It’s large size (70-80mm) and garish pink and olive-green markings make this native moth seem very exotic. It gets its name from the caterpillar, which has a trunk-like snout. The adults can be found feeding on honeysuckle at dusk.

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.