Oil painting of the endangered butterfly Blue Morpho.  8x 10 inch on Gessobord.  Framed.

With a wingspan of almost eight inches, blue Morpho butterflies are some of the largest in the world. Unfortunately, these butterflies, known for the vivid blue color of their wings, are being destroyed by habitat destruction and unsustainable collection. They are rarely photographed in the wild.

I did manage to find a reference photo of a Blue Morpho in the last stages of it’s adult life.  The faded colors and tattered wing seemed symbolic of the Earth’s disappearing species so I decided to paint it this way.

I find it fascinating how so many different butterflies look like totally different species when seen from the upper wing and the lower wing. I painted many of the butterflies, including this one with wings open and closed to show off this characteristic.

Reference from Dreamstime.

Prints also available.