Artist: Chelsea Hopkins-Allan
Title: Wing-Scales of the Female Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly
Series: Butterfly Wing Scales
Species: Female Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus)
Edition: Unique original artwork
Medium: Oil pastel, watercolour and gouache on 300 gsm watercolour paper
Artwork size: Approximately 90 × 123 cm
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
Availability: One only — original display stock
A monumental original work by Chelsea Hopkins-Allan transforming a minute section of a female Orchard Swallowtail butterfly wing into an immersive study of colour, pattern and biological structure.
The source can be seen in photographs of the butterfly itself: the artwork focuses on the distinctive red, white and black-scaled region of the hindwing. Chelsea dramatically enlarges this tiny biological detail until the microscopic structure becomes an independent abstract composition.
The surface is constructed from thousands of individually worked scale-like marks. Oil pastel, watercolour and gouache combine to create repeating looped and elongated forms inspired by the overlapping scales covering a butterfly wing. From a distance, these marks merge into large fields of black, scarlet, white and gold; at close range, the individual marks, pigment variations and intricate structure become increasingly apparent.
A broad charcoal and black field surrounds the dominant red formation, while an irregular band of white and pale scales moves through the upper portion of the red. At the lower edge, the palette shifts through burnt orange, amber, ochre, yellow and cream, echoing the fine coloured markings visible on the butterfly itself.
The painted paper has been carefully cut around its irregular outer silhouette and float-mounted approximately 5 mm above a white backing board. This produces a subtle shadow beneath the artwork and gives it the appearance of a greatly enlarged biological specimen suspended within the white box frame.
The work was selected as a finalist in the 2018 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, recognising Chelsea Hopkins-Allan’s distinctive intersection of visual art, biological observation and environmental science.
This listing is for the unique original artwork.
Display stock condition: the existing frame has some damage from previous display or storage, which has been taken into account in the sale price. Please contact Enigmatic Drawings if you would like further condition information before purchase.
International buyers: because of the scale and framing of this original, automatic international checkout is restricted. International purchase is still available — please contact Enigmatic Drawings first so an individual freight quote can be obtained.
Artist: Chelsea Hopkins-Allan
Title: Wing-Scales of the Female Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly
Series: Butterfly Wing Scales
Species: Female Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus)
Edition: Unique original artwork
Medium: Oil pastel, watercolour and gouache on 300 gsm watercolour paper
Artwork size: Approximately 90 × 123 cm
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
Availability: One only — original display stock
A monumental original work by Chelsea Hopkins-Allan transforming a minute section of a female Orchard Swallowtail butterfly wing into an immersive study of colour, pattern and biological structure.
The source can be seen in photographs of the butterfly itself: the artwork focuses on the distinctive red, white and black-scaled region of the hindwing. Chelsea dramatically enlarges this tiny biological detail until the microscopic structure becomes an independent abstract composition.
The surface is constructed from thousands of individually worked scale-like marks. Oil pastel, watercolour and gouache combine to create repeating looped and elongated forms inspired by the overlapping scales covering a butterfly wing. From a distance, these marks merge into large fields of black, scarlet, white and gold; at close range, the individual marks, pigment variations and intricate structure become increasingly apparent.
A broad charcoal and black field surrounds the dominant red formation, while an irregular band of white and pale scales moves through the upper portion of the red. At the lower edge, the palette shifts through burnt orange, amber, ochre, yellow and cream, echoing the fine coloured markings visible on the butterfly itself.
The painted paper has been carefully cut around its irregular outer silhouette and float-mounted approximately 5 mm above a white backing board. This produces a subtle shadow beneath the artwork and gives it the appearance of a greatly enlarged biological specimen suspended within the white box frame.
The work was selected as a finalist in the 2018 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, recognising Chelsea Hopkins-Allan’s distinctive intersection of visual art, biological observation and environmental science.
This listing is for the unique original artwork.
Display stock condition: the existing frame has some damage from previous display or storage, which has been taken into account in the sale price. Please contact Enigmatic Drawings if you would like further condition information before purchase.
International buyers: because of the scale and framing of this original, automatic international checkout is restricted. International purchase is still available — please contact Enigmatic Drawings first so an individual freight quote can be obtained.
