The most recent series features insects front and center in lushly detailed landscapes which elevate the story unfolding in the foreground. I want to bring to life a world in which these astonishing creatures are not background details or objects worthy of derision, as is often the case in Western cultures, but rather protagonists worthy of the same attention and reverence artists have historically afforded to the human figure.

It was impossible to ignore the siren song of the insect kingdom once they caught my attention. When you take the time to zoom in on insects, such an unexpected treat awaits—a tiny universe of shimmering gossamer wings, intricate patterns, deep rich mattes, flawlessly airbrushed gloss, patchy clouds of fur, and unusual pops of color—sometimes all in the same insect. The more closely I looked, the more there was to discover in these miniscule masterpieces. This series is an attempt to encourage that kind of looking.

By elevating insects into the starring role within landscapes largely inspired by the visual language of late Gothic and early Renaissance painting, I am trying to reconsider our relationship with these creatures and, more broadly, with the natural world. Insects are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, climate change, pesticides, and other consequences of our actions. I believe that cultivating a greater sense of wonder, attention, and respect for the non-human world is one way we can begin to reconsider our relationship with the natural systems that sustain our lives.

The second painting in the series, which is currently only partially complete, features luna moths, an ethereal-looking nocturnal moth associated with the moon, which have been described in different cultures as sacred messengers from the spirit world or guides that help navigate deep spiritual transitions. My composition features luna moths leading the viewer to a stone niche with an altar set with offerings to worship the goddess Hecate, who is also associated with the moon and spiritual thresholds. The inspiration for the composition came from late Gothic and early Renaissance paintings of St. Jerome in the wilderness. The paintings can take me 8–9 months to complete depending on my success at distillation of details I find necessary to bring the story to life.

This is the first in a series exploring the intersection of human and insects vis a vis the folklore that has sprung up around them through the ages. This particular painting is 10x18 inches. In the south starting as far back as the 1800s there is evidence of people referring to dragonflies as “snake doctors.” This name came from the belief that dragonflies were in alliance with snakes and that they mended or repaired wounded snakes and restored them to their original vitality, particularly snakes who had been dismembered. Who knows what moment of magic between species the original source of this folklore witnessed, but I could not resist the opportunity to tackle this subject matter myself. In my version, 2 coiling copperheads caught in a moment of mating have been dismembered by a human and these dragonflies have descended in order to serve their purpose of stitching them back together. I have been practicing painting macro images of insect specimens for the better part of a year to get ready for this series. I hope I can distill the details of the 12 dragonflies in this painting and capture their shimmering, ethereal qualities, it will be a great challenge for me since that is not my forte. There will be a full landscape, sea and sky, so this one may take awhile.

A painting of a coiled rattlesnake on a rocky hillside near water, surrounded by flying dragonflies under a cloudy sky.

A vintage-style illustration of a large red, black, and white banded snake, possibly a rattlesnake, coiled on rocky terrain. Several transparent, sketched dragonflies are flying above and around the snake.

A detailed artwork of a snake entwined with dragonflies in a natural landscape with rocks and mountains.

A detailed illustration of a rattlesnake coiled on rocks, with several dragonflies flying around and resting on its body.

Weary/ Reproachful Bison Duo. oil on panel. 4in x 6in each.

Long Eared Owl Study. oil on panel. 3in x 5in

Bumblebee Study. oil on panel. 2in x 2.75in

Wooden frame with postal flags, a dove with a camera tattoo, and the year 1915, decorated with flags and a crown with "Canada" on top.

Underpainting a WW1 Pigeon in a charming frame from the same era. Pigeons were used in WW1 to send messages between troops with the messages coiled in a capsule like container attached to their legs. Also around the same time there was some experimentation attaching cameras to them as a sort of precursor to the drone, although I didn’t see any evidence they were used this way during the war. Interesting nonetheless. 3in x 5in, oil on panel.

Painting of three dogs with muscular builds, one with its mouth open and two with their mouths closed, surrounded by an ornate bejeweled frame.

A framed artwork of two fighting dogs, one with a white coat and the other with a brown coat, depicted in a realistic style.

A detailed art painting of three snarling dogs with their mouths open, showing teeth, set against a dark background.

A framed painting of a large eagle with outstretched wings, set on a wooden stand. The scene includes clouds, smaller figures, and animals in a landscape background.

Zeus & Ganymeade Progress

A large detailed illustration of a giant eagle with outstretched wings, attacking a man. The eagle's beak is near the man's chest, and the man is falling backward. Several smaller figures are in the background, some sitting or standing, and a few appear to be on clouds above.

oil on panel. 7 in x 11 in

Painting of a large eagle in the sky with its wings spread wide. Surrounding the eagle are various mythological figures, including gods and celestial beings, perched on clouds or flying. The landscape below includes trees, mountains, and a river, with a person on the ground dressed in red and others dressed in various garments.

Calydonian Boar

11/19/22 - 11 in x 14 in oil on panel, laying in first color layer on this wooly boar and co.

A detailed illustration of a wild boar running with three attacking dogs, two in front and one in the background, in a mountainous landscape.

Ellen Tanner 8/30/22 Ellen Tanner 8/30/22

Spring/Summer Wrap-Up

Plenty of loose ends to tie up on all of these works from the past 6 months or so, but the end is in sight…