A monumental original watercolour transforming a minute section of a female Orchard Swallowtail butterfly’s wing into an immersive study of colour, pattern and biological structure.
Artist: Chelsea Hopkins-Allan
Title: Butterfly Wing Scales — Orchard Swallowtail
Edition: Unique original artwork
Medium: Watercolour on 300 gsm watercolour paper
Dimensions: Approximately 900 × 1230 mm / 90 × 123 cm
Approximate imperial dimensions: 35.4 × 48.4 inches
Orientation: Portrait
Framing: Hand-cut artwork float-mounted approximately 5 mm above a white backing board, protected beneath glass and presented in a white box frame
Butterfly species: Female Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus) — identification pending final confirmation from the artist
Butterfly Wing Scales — Orchard Swallowtail is a large-scale interpretation of the microscopic scales covering a specific section of an Orchard Swallowtail butterfly’s hindwing. Chelsea Hopkins-Allan has isolated and dramatically enlarged the distinctive red, white and dark-scaled area visible near the inner section of the butterfly’s hindwing, transforming a minute biological detail into a commanding abstract composition.
The work is constructed from thousands of repeated watercolour marks resembling the minute overlapping scales that form the surface and colour pattern of a butterfly’s wing. Individually, these marks appear as small loops, cells and elongated teardrop-like forms. Viewed together, they merge into sweeping bands of colour and create a surface that feels simultaneously organic, patterned and intensely tactile.
A broad field of velvety charcoal and blue-black surrounds the central formation, shifting through areas of graphite grey, muted black-green and translucent shadow. Across this dark ground, an expansive arc of brilliant scarlet and deep crimson dominates the composition. Within it, a cascading field of white and pale pearl-grey scales breaks apart into irregular clusters, punctuated by isolated red marks that appear to move through the lighter surface.
The lower edge introduces a striking transition from the predominantly black and red upper field into burnt orange, amber, ochre, golden yellow and pale cream. This warm band gives the composition a grounded, luminous base while echoing the finer coloured markings found along the outer edge of the butterfly’s wing. Small variations in pigment density, transparency and brush pressure preserve the individuality of each painted scale and reward close viewing.
Although scientifically informed, the work is not merely an enlarged illustration. The dramatic scale, irregular outer silhouette and concentrated colour relationships transform the source material into an independent abstract image. From a distance, the composition reads as a bold arrangement of black, red, white and gold. At close range, the repeated marks reveal the extraordinary intricacy of the biological structure from which the work originated.
The watercolour paper has been carefully cut around the irregular outline of the painted form and float-mounted approximately 5 mm above a white backing board. This creates a narrow shadow beneath the artwork, allowing it to appear suspended within the frame like a specimen displayed beneath a microscope slide. The clean white box frame provides a restrained architectural setting for the saturated colour and complex painted surface.
A monumental original watercolour transforming a minute section of a female Orchard Swallowtail butterfly’s wing into an immersive study of colour, pattern and biological structure.
Artist: Chelsea Hopkins-Allan
Title: Butterfly Wing Scales — Orchard Swallowtail
Edition: Unique original artwork
Medium: Watercolour on 300 gsm watercolour paper
Dimensions: Approximately 900 × 1230 mm / 90 × 123 cm
Approximate imperial dimensions: 35.4 × 48.4 inches
Orientation: Portrait
Framing: Hand-cut artwork float-mounted approximately 5 mm above a white backing board, protected beneath glass and presented in a white box frame
Butterfly species: Female Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus) — identification pending final confirmation from the artist
Butterfly Wing Scales — Orchard Swallowtail is a large-scale interpretation of the microscopic scales covering a specific section of an Orchard Swallowtail butterfly’s hindwing. Chelsea Hopkins-Allan has isolated and dramatically enlarged the distinctive red, white and dark-scaled area visible near the inner section of the butterfly’s hindwing, transforming a minute biological detail into a commanding abstract composition.
The work is constructed from thousands of repeated watercolour marks resembling the minute overlapping scales that form the surface and colour pattern of a butterfly’s wing. Individually, these marks appear as small loops, cells and elongated teardrop-like forms. Viewed together, they merge into sweeping bands of colour and create a surface that feels simultaneously organic, patterned and intensely tactile.
A broad field of velvety charcoal and blue-black surrounds the central formation, shifting through areas of graphite grey, muted black-green and translucent shadow. Across this dark ground, an expansive arc of brilliant scarlet and deep crimson dominates the composition. Within it, a cascading field of white and pale pearl-grey scales breaks apart into irregular clusters, punctuated by isolated red marks that appear to move through the lighter surface.
The lower edge introduces a striking transition from the predominantly black and red upper field into burnt orange, amber, ochre, golden yellow and pale cream. This warm band gives the composition a grounded, luminous base while echoing the finer coloured markings found along the outer edge of the butterfly’s wing. Small variations in pigment density, transparency and brush pressure preserve the individuality of each painted scale and reward close viewing.
Although scientifically informed, the work is not merely an enlarged illustration. The dramatic scale, irregular outer silhouette and concentrated colour relationships transform the source material into an independent abstract image. From a distance, the composition reads as a bold arrangement of black, red, white and gold. At close range, the repeated marks reveal the extraordinary intricacy of the biological structure from which the work originated.
The watercolour paper has been carefully cut around the irregular outline of the painted form and float-mounted approximately 5 mm above a white backing board. This creates a narrow shadow beneath the artwork, allowing it to appear suspended within the frame like a specimen displayed beneath a microscope slide. The clean white box frame provides a restrained architectural setting for the saturated colour and complex painted surface.
