Jennifer Ivory

Architect by day & bug enthusiast by night. After years of collecting real insects I reluctantly gave it up in the spirit of environmentalism. Well that, and lots of peer pressure from my tree-hugging friends in Oregon.

Still wanting to collect, I turned my hand to drawing bugs with colored pencils & black ink on various types of art paper. Over the years I have refined my techniques & now use watercolor, inks, coated papers, mylar, horse hair, feathers & many other materials to achieve the high degree of realism my creations reflect today. People often believe my paper insects are quite real…necessitating my somewhat humorous disclaimers that no insects were harmed in the making of the artwork.

There is something intriguing and sublime about the world of insects. Their industry & adaptability; their often stunning appearance. I have found that if I take time to look closely there is an amazing breadth of beauty waiting to be admired…and even more importantly, the subtle awareness that we humans are not the completely dominating global species we seem to believe. We are, in fact, quite dependent and severely out numbered!

I have been exhibiting my artwork for 6 years now and the response has been wonderful. I greatly enjoy hearing the surprise in peoples’ voices & seeing the smiles on their faces when they first see my bugs. Often memories are triggered and a story ensues!

I sincerely hope my insect sculptures encourage people to pause for a moment in their everyday lives and smile in appreciation the next time they encounter a moth or a beetle or are being eyed by a curious dragonfly! Enjoy!