The Moth Project

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As my illness progressed, and it became more and more difficult to walk in the woods, I looked for ways to bring the woods to me.  About this time, I discovered moth-ing – like birding, but with moths. I hang a blacklight on my house and photograph the huge diversity of moths that come to the light.  While there are about 750 species of butterflies in the US, there are more than 11,000 species of moths – most of which we don’t see because they are only active at night.  Since I started moth-ing in 2019, I have personally seen and photographed more than 800 species of moths in my woods.  This artwork, which I am continuously adding to over time, captures some of my favorite moth species I have seen.

I start with a photograph I have taken of a specific moth species, using it to draw an original embroidery pattern.  I transfer that pattern to a collaged and quilted background and hand embroider each moth, carefully capturing its intricate details.  These hand embroidered quilts are then mounted to wood blocks using bookbinding techniques and prepared for hanging.