Vignette – a country of wondrous things I, 2019

Watercolour & graphite, 17.5 cm x 7.5 cm, framed in raw timber box frame with soft gold face 38.5 cm x 33.5 cm.

Many moths are so tiny that most people just don’t notice them.  They aren’t brightly coloured like butterflies but they play an important role in the environment.  Many moths are still yet to be identified and even seen for the first time in Australia.   I found this little moth on this small branch in my paddock, and decided that they belonged together in a painting.  To find a dead moth is a rare thing, and they really are wondrous little insects, whether living or dead.

The title for this work comes from the poem "The Dreamer" by well known Australian poet, Dorothea Mackellar.