The collapse of insect life in Britain is obvious (to anyone who looks) – moths, butterflies, bees, even the plumes of midges collecting around ponds on summer evenings are becoming a memory. Living rurally surrounded by fields I have watched the dramatic decline of insects in our garden over the years despite our attempts to counteract it. Many people visiting the countryside see green fields and think of nature but industrial agriculture with its use of pesticides and fertilisers has created a bleak monoculture.

This work features some of the Devon moths identified as being of conservation significance. These are not part of the long list of rare, scarce or declining moths in Devon but rather a few of those species for which the county has a particular conservation responsibility, to ensure they retain healthy, viable populations in Britain. These are the species upon which conservation work should focus.

The stained glass-style of the work was inspired by the beautiful windows depicting nature in the dining hall of the castle on St Michaels Mount in Cornwall. The design of the ‘leading’ is based on microscopic images of moth scales.

Watercolour (moths) and screenprint (‘leading’) on watercolour board.