The Blue-spotted Hawker Dragonfly

One of a series contrasting a coloured realistic appearing insect in my “Impressionist Sculptured Paper” style, against a semi-abstract natural-like setting made only of natural paper colours.The Blue-spotted Hawker is one of the most common and well recognised larger Australian Dragonflies. I was very keen to depict a Dragonfly, (Order Odonata), being intrigued by them all my life. One morning I was rewarded with a beautiful female kindly resting long enough outside my studio in the Dandenong Ranges to allow the perfect reference photographs. It’s easy to understand why, with their delicate laced wings, Dragonflies are loved world-wide and ascribed many spiritual meanings. With a history reaching back to the farthest records of life on earth, they are one of nature’s most beloved masterpieces. Sculptured from English Somerset 300gsm cold pressed new cotton paper for the insect body, glassine paper for the wings and a variety of unique handmade Asian mulberry papers for the background leaf forms. The backing board is French Arches 300gsm new cotton hot pressed art paper. Archival ink tinted colouring. Framed in Tasmanian Hardwood timber with chalk lime wash finish to compliment the papers behind acrylic glazing.Winner: Mention Honorifique for Sculpture, Mondial Art Academia Professional Artists Concour, 2025, France