Butterflies, Moths and Insects with Sprays of Common Hawthorn and Forget-Me-Not

Meticulously painted insects, flowers and berries are laid out on a plain creamy white surface without any overlap. Each specimen is carefully observed and identifiable. All of this might give us the idea that we are looking at a scientific illustration, but these insects appear very much alive: the seemingly casual arrangement, the light effects and the shadows cast give the objects a remarkably lifelike appearance.The black veined white butterfly balances on the leaf on a common hawthorn; a caterpillar and an earwig crawl along its woody sprig. A common blue butterfly sits on a different leaf, while another rests on one of the juicy red berries. Other insects – a hornet, a yellow pied hoverfly, a garden tiger moth, two more earwigs, a dung beetle and a fire bug – are arranged in rows at the top and bottom of the panel, contrasting with the more natural looking arrangement of the insects and plants in the middle.