Rossii/Alexandrae

Ceratophyus rossii (right) & Ornithoptera alexandrae (below) are both endangered species.

I painted these insects to explore color and form within illustration. I was inspired by the pochoir (stencil) work of E.A. Seguy, who created series of patterns and insects in gouache in the early 20th century. Although I painted freehand and not by stencil as Seguy did, I was drawn to the vibrant swathes of color and the challenge of representing real insects, especially the iridescent and reflective surfaces on the Ceratophyus rossii beetle.