This is, believe it or not, a painting of a real bug. The colors are if anything more vivid in real life. I saw it in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, did a quick sketch, and painted it on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship a month later.
Homeland Security kept the suitcase with my paint overnight after the flight down to Florida, and I only got it back just in time for sailing. They'd opened a jar of gold leaf, and hadn't quite managed to screw the lid back on properly. Must admit, I don't feel very safe with protectors who can't figure out a screw cap!
