Hawk Moth Woman

Hawk Moth Woman, 2016, acrylic on wood panel 32 x 30 cm. Photo credit: Tim Gresham

In Australia there are approximately 65 hawk moth species. Mostly found in the tropics, they are the only family of the Sphingidae.

Newly documented, Hawk Moth Woman (pictured top) is the latest link in the evolutionary chain of Angonyx papuana (pictured directly below). The Homo-insecta has inherited her insect forbear's superb aerodynamic shape; not surprisingly, she is a remarkably swift and powerful flyer.

Hawk moth, Angonyx papuana, Sphingidae. From A Field Guide to Insects in Australia
(Third Edition). Paul Zborowski and Ross Storey, Reed New Holland, 2010

To learn more about this moth woman’s lepidopteran relatives, go HERE.

Selected stages in the documentation process of Hawk Moth Woman are directly below.

Hawk Moth Woman freshly completed, with the paint on her wings barely dried

Castiarina sagittaria Beetle Woman

Appearing here for the very first time is Castiarina sagittaria Beetle Woman, a newly discovered Homo-insecta that was recently documented in the Ballarat studio. The Castiarina sagittaria jewel beetle from which she evolved (pictured in the final image below) hails from this part of the world, namely south western Victoria.

The completed painting, Castiarina Sagittaria Beetle Woman (2015, acrylic on wood, 32 x 30 cm) is shown above. Directly below are a series of progress views of the work: