Saturday, March 22, 2008

Red Flat Bark Beetle





 

Cucujus clavipes...
These insects live in the eastern forests of North America.... their habitat is under the bark of Ash and Poplar, especially of recently felled trees... extremely flat... brightly colored... eggs are laid under bark, where larvae seek prey... actual size of beetle is 10 - 14 mm.

.........It is not so much that I love bugs..... it is that they are fun to draw... as a skull is... It is the exoskeletal form and the stronger lines it affords that I like...



...approx. 3½" x 2" ink, watercolor, gouache, brush, crow quill pen on 140 CP Arches WC paper
at Desideratum Art and Jewelry Studio, St. Martins, New Brunswick, Canada 

5 comments:

William Evertson said...

The bug is great - native to Fundy? Also your work on that light fixture; I love that kind of enterprise and it looks great. Great posts.

Anonymous said...

You're very talented, Gwen.

sandy said...

I'm with you, I say I love bugs, but it is drawings of bugs I love. You did a great job on this.

sandy

glad you visited so now I know about your blog.

sandy

Michael Pieczonka said...

Wow, you have a plethora of fantastic work on your Blog! I really like your handling on this one.. great controlled looseness in all of your work too.

cheers, Michael

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks so much for your kind comments everybody...
Yes this little critter hangs out in the forests 'round here but he is not harmful...

Kind of fun to paint things that are all around us but we don't see up close too often