Artist's Insect Paintings on Recycled Book Covers Are Inspired by Love of Nature

Insects may seem small and insignificant, but they play crucial roles within many of the planet's ecosystems: aerating the soil, decomposing decaying organic matter, pollinating plants, as well as providing food for many other organisms. Unfortunately, due to a number of factors (including human agricultural practices), it's been estimated that as much as 40 percent of the world's insect populations are in decline, with butterflies, moths, bees, and beetles being the worst hit.

But it's not only scientists who are trying to sound the alarm; there are many artists who are trying to convey the fragile beauty of insects to the wider public, as a way of raising awareness about the need to protect these tiny but all-important creatures.

Based out of Wales in the United Kingdom, artist and illustrator Rose Sanderson uses acrylic paints to carefully render colorful portraits on insects – not on conventional canvas, but on the covers of books that have been salvaged from the trash. This clever combination of upcycling and conservation dates back a few years, but the point is that Sanderson's intriguing approach manages to get us to look more closely at these often overlooked organisms.

As Sanderson tells Treehugger:

"At the time, much of my work was based on the fragility of life. The book covers represented a story, a passage in time that was emphasized by the subject matter painted upon them. Beetles for example feed on decaying matter to survive; they are part of natures cycle. It is all about recycling, regeneration, metamorphosis, life and death. The materials I use relate to this."

The subjects of Sanderson's vibrant portraits range quite widely: from beetles like the Beyer's scarab and jeweled frog beetle to moths and butterflies like the death's-head hawk moth and others.

Many of the book covers seem to be selected for their existing texture, as well as how their colors will best complement the subject matter. We love how skillfully rendered these precious insects are, how beautifully their colors blend together, and how their careful depiction enlivens them and makes them less "creepy-crawly" to even the most intractable insect-phobes out there.

As Sanderson tells us, there's a lot of prior thought and research that goes into these "bugs on book covers":

"My creative process varies depending on what I am working on, and has changed over the years. One piece can take hours, days, weeks, even months or years if it is something I have left unresolved and returned to complete at a later date. There is the development of thoughts and ideas, the research, the experimenting, the production, the happy and not-so-happy mistakes (not always in the same order). I often have a few things on the go at once (separate and combined); expressive painterly backgrounds, detailed natural history illustrations, small 3D sculptures and jewelry."

This diverse and wide-ranging back-and-forth approach between different media and approaches is what keeps things interesting for Sanderson, but overall, she says that her focus still primarily centers on nature, no matter the result:

"I have so many ideas and don't like to be constrained by any one process, medium or material. My subject however has generally been very consistent over the years, and that is what I am most inspired by; the Natural World. Insects, birds, plants, rock formations... Painting or drawing something gives me a real opportunity to study it closely; to really see and appreciate it. My intrigue drives my passion, and that is what I hope shows in my work, and keeps me going."

Ultimately, Sanderson says that her goal is to compel us to pay attention to the things that most overlooked:

"There is a lot in front of our eyes which we do not see. It may sound corny but beauty is all around us, and I am particularly interested in painting the things that may go unnoticed, or tend to be disregarded. By studying things like insects, anatomy and death, I hope to show an appreciation for what once was, and what is."

Sanderson is now currently working on a series of abstract drawings that explore forms of lichens found around her home in West Wales. To see more, visit Rose Sanderson's website and Instagram.