New Zealand Butterflies

This series of delicate drawings explores the beauty and fragility of butterflies native to Aotearoa New Zealand, rendered in artist pencil on drafting film. The smooth, translucent surface of the film allows for exceptional clarity and layering, capturing the fine structures and subtle colouration of each species with precision and sensitivity.

Working with artist pencil on drafting film requires a careful, deliberate hand. Each mark floats on the surface, unabsorbed, allowing for a luminous quality that echoes the butterflies themselves - ephemeral, weightless, and full of quiet life. Through this medium, the works celebrate not only the intricate details of wing pattern and form, but also the fleeting nature of these creatures in their native habitats.

From the bold red admiral (Vanessa gonerilla) to the subtle tones of the common copper (Lycaena salustius), these drawings serve as both artistic studies and gentle reminders of the ecological richness and fragility of New Zealand's endemic and native butterfly species.

Together, the works form a visual archive - an intimate record of natural beauty observed, honoured, and shared through the precise, luminous touch of pencil on film.