Natural History

A collection of insects and animals found dead in their natural habitat, observed through drawing as a way of studying and preserving their raw beauty and final state.

Pelican 2019 Pen drawing

This pelican was found dead on a beach in Mexico, Baja peninsular. I would walk past it almost daily and watch it slowly decay.

The feathers were striking even after it had been long dead.  The whites were bright and clean, and the black was deep and shiny.  I wanted to capture and learn how to draw all the different textures, I felt as if I wanted to preserve it, like taxidermy. 

Moth - 2017 - Pen drawing

This Moth was found on the ceiling of a hostel, It had died while clinging to the beams. I spent about 30 minuets trying to get it down with a pair of rolled up socks.

This 'Black Witch Moth' was almost the size of my hand. The colours had dulled over time but it was still beautiful. In Mexico, the legend goes that if the Black Witch Moth flys over your head, your hair will fall out.