Luna

For some reason, I felt the need to wait until I actually SAW a Luna moth in real life before painting one.  The experience was even more magical than I expected, for I ran into not one but three while hiking up a mountainside in the Adirondack State Park.  One had recently hatched, and was kind enough to let me photograph her while her wings dried.  It wasn’t a huge leap from Lunas to Owls- they’re both night creatures, they’ve been feared and loved, and they both have an unearthly quality.  (Also I’m fairly certain that some owls eat moths, so. . .)

I thought about the green, sun dappled vastness of the woods while I painted this, shivering and shuddering in swiftly fading twilight.  It’s easy to imagine coming across strange creatures in those mountains, the whisper of their wings so subtle you almost can’t hear them in the echoing silence.  But the glow still draws you near, toes sinking into soft leaf mold and silken loam, guiding you onwards through the darkening trees.

I know we’ve been down this owl strewn road before, so if you remember this, read it aloud with me: This piece, like her brothers and sisters, looks amazing in a gold frame, BUT she will be sold and shipped in a white mat.  Why?  Two reasons: A- maybe our frame tastes are WILDLY different, and you’d like to pick your own, and B- the owls have an easier time flying to you without glass.  Glass makes them nervous.

Watercolor and White Ink on 140lb Cold Press

Image size: 8 X 10″

Mat size: 11 X 14″