Persephone - Goddess of the Underworld

Recently I returned to the religious icons theme, and decided to try the same style of small scale paintings but this time on wood.
Acrylics and varnish on wood. 9cm x 6,5cm (the first image is almost actual size)

Persephone was abducted and taken to the underworld where she became queen, along side the god of the underworld Hades. She was associated with changing of seasons and spring flowers, but she was said to never have allowed anyone to escape the underworld, becoming the iron queen.

Laphria flava

Laphria flava is a bee like Robber-fly, around 25mm body length. Now very rare in the UK only occuring in the Caledonian pine forest area in Scotland. Like the Hornet Robber-fly, Laphria is a predator of other insects, usually catching them in mid flight.

The females are more bulky with a tapering abdomen, they deposit eggs in old pine logs and stumps.

There are many more Laphria species around the world, a lot of which are bee or wasp mimics, which is ironic since some will catch bees and wasps as prey if given the chance. 

Giant Horsefly

...Another insect, this time the huge Tabanus sudeticus, or Dark Giant Horsefly. The females can measure up to 30mm long, and are the heaviest flies in Europe. They use their piercing mouthparts to cut a wound in the flesh of cattle, horses or humans, and lap up the blood, which they need to produce viable eggs. The males are slightly smaller and only feed on nectar.
again, drawing done on A4 cartridge paper, in fine line pen, markers, and acrylic paint. I have decided to create a whole series of these insects, in the same scale and style to hopefully produce a mini guide to some UK species of insect. It will take a long time!

Hornet Robber-Fly

The Hornet Robber-Fly, Asilus crabroniformis is a large species of robber fly, and one of the largest flies found in the UK, at 24 - 35mm long. Like all other robber flies, they are predatory and grab other insects in mid air, piercing them and sucking out internal fluids. Because of their lifestyle they are clothed in bristles and spines, with a huge "beard" to protect the eyes from the struggling victims.

This drawing is much like the previous one, on A4 cartridge paper done with fine line pen, pro-markers, and acrylic paint.

incidentally, this is also my favourite of all the insects I have ever seen. Unfortunately it is now very rare and localised in the UK, only occurring in a few grazing fields, where the larvae develop in cattle, horse or rabbit dung.

Urocerus gigas

As you may have noticed I am obsessed with insects, so naturally I love to draw them, something I haven't been doing a lot lately to try and broaden my technique range, but today i decided to go back to a familiar subject.
This drawings is mainly permanent Pro-markers, fine line pen, and acrylic paint. On cartridge paper.

Urocerus gigas is a huge species of Sawfly, found here in the UK. the female has a large ovipositor which she uses to drill into sickly pine trunks or logs and deposit her eggs. The females are around 45mm long, and I have yet to see one!

Recent work...

I have recently completed these three small paintings, I never really use paint so was good for me to get some fairly quick work done in this medium. The images are not about anything in particular, in fact I made them up as I went along because they aren't fully resolved pieces, but I am pleased with how they turned out, especially with a finish of spray varnish to give that authentic religious Icon look...
All 3 are around A6 size, acrylic paint and pencil on cartridge paper.

Specimens

Recently i visited the Huntarian museum, part of the Royal college of Surgeons in London. The museum is small, but packed with all sorts of amazing medical specimens, from insects and chickens to human foetus's and deformed skeletons.

I have been fascinated with any natural history artefacts almost all my life, especially the strange and morbid sides of nature (probably why I love insects!).
The museum rekindled my desire to create my own specimens, so here are the family:

They are all modelled with Fimo, and coloured slightly with ink, before being baked to harden. Then sealed into their new homes. They are all quite small, the two in the smallest jars are around 25mm. i am hoping to make a larger specimen soon....