My latest
unnatural history painting (pictured above) introduces Christmas
Beetle Woman, a recently discovered homo-insecta which evolved from Anoplognathus chloropyrus, one
of Australia’s most striking Christmas beetles. As their name implies, these beetles are
most prevalent around Christmas time. This particular species and sub-species flourishes in the
Murray-Darling basin, the Great Dividing Range and coastal areas of Queensland,
New South Wales and Victoria.
Christmas Beetle Woman may have emerged a tad early for Christmas, but was completed
in the nick of time for Christmas in July. It’s taken until now to post these
images, however, as late July also marked the beginning of the 2016 Melbourne
International Film Festival, which I’ve been attending a daily basis. (In fact, this was posted in between screenings).
Pictured top: fully evolved Christmas Beetle Woman (2016, acrylic on wood panel, 32 x 30 cm).
Pictured below: selected stages in the painting's development.
Below, a layer of thin protective varnish is applied before adding final details to the work:
The work nearing completion (Ballarat studio, July, 2016):
