Deborah Davis
@mothpainter.bsky.social
I am an old woman who lives in the woods in an odd little house. I find immense joy in observing nature and making art.
mothpaintings.com
mothpaintings.com
I finally finished this Luna commission. I can safely say that Actias luna is the most popular moth in North America. I have painted it often, but each one is unique. The painting is 30X40 acrylic on canvas.
January 12, 2026 at 8:12 PM
I finally finished this Luna commission. I can safely say that Actias luna is the most popular moth in North America. I have painted it often, but each one is unique. The painting is 30X40 acrylic on canvas.
It’s another Moth Face Friday! Going back to last March we gaze into the face of Kent’s geometer.
January 9, 2026 at 2:47 PM
It’s another Moth Face Friday! Going back to last March we gaze into the face of Kent’s geometer.
The large and glamorous Luna moths are always early spring visitors here in Virginia. I never tire of seeing them. These two male Actias luna showed up the same night at my UV lights. If you examine them closely you can see the subtle differences between them. Moths are indeed unique individuals.
January 4, 2026 at 2:10 PM
The large and glamorous Luna moths are always early spring visitors here in Virginia. I never tire of seeing them. These two male Actias luna showed up the same night at my UV lights. If you examine them closely you can see the subtle differences between them. Moths are indeed unique individuals.
It’s the first Moth Face Friday of the year. This is my first moth face photo of last year. It was early March when Common Oak Moth paid a visit. Phoberia atomaris.
January 2, 2026 at 3:39 PM
It’s the first Moth Face Friday of the year. This is my first moth face photo of last year. It was early March when Common Oak Moth paid a visit. Phoberia atomaris.
Moth Face Friday comes around again! This captivating and charming face belongs to Pine Devil. Citheronia sepulcralis is hardly a “devil”, but as a caterpillar it has a much more forbidding visage.
December 26, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Moth Face Friday comes around again! This captivating and charming face belongs to Pine Devil. Citheronia sepulcralis is hardly a “devil”, but as a caterpillar it has a much more forbidding visage.
I dreamed about Mothing last night. I was in China and there were hundreds of moths. Most of them unknown to me. Sphinx moths. I woke with feelings of awe. I won’t be in China, but anticipating spring here in Virginia. This painting is Huckleberry Sphinx- Paonias astylus. 30X40 acrylic on canvas.
December 20, 2025 at 5:35 PM
I dreamed about Mothing last night. I was in China and there were hundreds of moths. Most of them unknown to me. Sphinx moths. I woke with feelings of awe. I won’t be in China, but anticipating spring here in Virginia. This painting is Huckleberry Sphinx- Paonias astylus. 30X40 acrylic on canvas.
Moth Face Friday! This beautiful fluffy creature is a male Io moth- Automeris io. They are frequent visitors each summer.
December 19, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Moth Face Friday! This beautiful fluffy creature is a male Io moth- Automeris io. They are frequent visitors each summer.
Moth Face Friday! This is The Hebrew. These are very common in the summer at my place. The host plant is black gum. Yes, I have those in abundance. From this angle it looks more like a demented clown. Polygrammate hebraeicum.
December 12, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Moth Face Friday! This is The Hebrew. These are very common in the summer at my place. The host plant is black gum. Yes, I have those in abundance. From this angle it looks more like a demented clown. Polygrammate hebraeicum.
Moth Face Friday again! A famous and charming moth here is the Rosy Maple Moth. This is one of my favorite photos from a few years ago. Such a photogenic little critter. Dryocampa rubicunda.
December 5, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Moth Face Friday again! A famous and charming moth here is the Rosy Maple Moth. This is one of my favorite photos from a few years ago. Such a photogenic little critter. Dryocampa rubicunda.
Another Moth Face Friday comes around. Enjoy this Luna face from last spring. Actias luna will be back in March or April. Now they are cocooning in the dead leaves.
November 14, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Another Moth Face Friday comes around. Enjoy this Luna face from last spring. Actias luna will be back in March or April. Now they are cocooning in the dead leaves.
Moth Face Friday! I am going back to this past spring for faces now. Since I posted an Actias luna painting just a few days ago I was drawn to this gorgeous luna face.
November 7, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Moth Face Friday! I am going back to this past spring for faces now. Since I posted an Actias luna painting just a few days ago I was drawn to this gorgeous luna face.
My Luna commission is finally done. This is one of the most beautiful and iconic moths that we have in North America. It elicits feelings of awe and wonder when it appears. I have painted it countless times.
Actias luna- 30X40 acrylic on canvas.
Actias luna- 30X40 acrylic on canvas.
November 4, 2025 at 3:12 PM
My Luna commission is finally done. This is one of the most beautiful and iconic moths that we have in North America. It elicits feelings of awe and wonder when it appears. I have painted it countless times.
Actias luna- 30X40 acrylic on canvas.
Actias luna- 30X40 acrylic on canvas.
There was little action at the moth sheet last night. There were many Dot Lined Whites-Artace cribrarius. As usual there were lots of males and only one female. It was nice to get a photo of a pair side by side. The male is on the left and female on the right. Pre dawn on 10/19 inVA.
October 19, 2025 at 2:41 PM
There was little action at the moth sheet last night. There were many Dot Lined Whites-Artace cribrarius. As usual there were lots of males and only one female. It was nice to get a photo of a pair side by side. The male is on the left and female on the right. Pre dawn on 10/19 inVA.
I just finished a commission of Pondside Crambid-Elophila icciusalis. This tiny moth is beautifully patterned. I see these occasionally at my UV lights each summer. I am sure this painting will brighten up a room. It is 30 X40 acrylic on stretched canvas.
September 29, 2025 at 7:43 PM
I just finished a commission of Pondside Crambid-Elophila icciusalis. This tiny moth is beautifully patterned. I see these occasionally at my UV lights each summer. I am sure this painting will brighten up a room. It is 30 X40 acrylic on stretched canvas.
It’s another Moth Face Friday! This colorful character is Banded Tussock Moth or is it Sycamore Tussock Moth? You really can’t tell them apart.
September 26, 2025 at 1:48 PM
It’s another Moth Face Friday! This colorful character is Banded Tussock Moth or is it Sycamore Tussock Moth? You really can’t tell them apart.
Here we are at another Moth Face Friday. This is the face of a favorite of mine. Harrris’ Three Spot- Harissimemna trisignata.
September 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Here we are at another Moth Face Friday. This is the face of a favorite of mine. Harrris’ Three Spot- Harissimemna trisignata.
For Moth Face Friday I selected the Showy Emerald showing off as it strutted toward me. Dichorda iridaria.
August 29, 2025 at 2:05 PM
For Moth Face Friday I selected the Showy Emerald showing off as it strutted toward me. Dichorda iridaria.
Three of my paintings found a new home last weekend. Go to: mothpaintings.com to see what else I have on hand.
August 25, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Three of my paintings found a new home last weekend. Go to: mothpaintings.com to see what else I have on hand.
I was lucky to spot this gorgeous creature along the path to my studio this morning. Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth- Parasa indetermina was busy devouring some wild blueberry leaves.
August 19, 2025 at 6:26 PM
I was lucky to spot this gorgeous creature along the path to my studio this morning. Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth- Parasa indetermina was busy devouring some wild blueberry leaves.
This is the last week to see my show “Drawn To Light” at McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville, VA.
August 11, 2025 at 6:52 PM
This is the last week to see my show “Drawn To Light” at McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville, VA.
Happy Moth Face Friday! Here is the charming and colorful face of the Huckleberry Sphinx. Paonias astylus is one that doesn’t come around often.
August 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Happy Moth Face Friday! Here is the charming and colorful face of the Huckleberry Sphinx. Paonias astylus is one that doesn’t come around often.
Imperial Moths steal the show in July. Last night I had 9 of them at my lights. I like doing group shots to illustrate the size differences. The group contains Spiny Oakworm Moth -Anisota stigma, The Hebrew- Polygrammate hebraeicum, and Eacles imperialis.
July 21, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Imperial Moths steal the show in July. Last night I had 9 of them at my lights. I like doing group shots to illustrate the size differences. The group contains Spiny Oakworm Moth -Anisota stigma, The Hebrew- Polygrammate hebraeicum, and Eacles imperialis.
National Moth Week got off to a great start
at The Quarry Gardens At Schuyler last night. Thanks to Rachel and Devin for hosting a wonderful event. Here are photos of the moth-ers rather than moths. Conditions were excellent for moths and we saw so many.
at The Quarry Gardens At Schuyler last night. Thanks to Rachel and Devin for hosting a wonderful event. Here are photos of the moth-ers rather than moths. Conditions were excellent for moths and we saw so many.
July 20, 2025 at 4:04 PM
National Moth Week got off to a great start
at The Quarry Gardens At Schuyler last night. Thanks to Rachel and Devin for hosting a wonderful event. Here are photos of the moth-ers rather than moths. Conditions were excellent for moths and we saw so many.
at The Quarry Gardens At Schuyler last night. Thanks to Rachel and Devin for hosting a wonderful event. Here are photos of the moth-ers rather than moths. Conditions were excellent for moths and we saw so many.
It’s Moth Face Friday! National Moth Week also starts. A festive time for moth lovers. This is Eacles imperialis- The Imperial Moth. A large and common moth during July.
July 18, 2025 at 12:28 PM
It’s Moth Face Friday! National Moth Week also starts. A festive time for moth lovers. This is Eacles imperialis- The Imperial Moth. A large and common moth during July.
It’s July when these magnificent moths make their first appearance. They are large and very common at my place. These two males were the first of the season for me. Imperial moths- Eacles imperialis showed up about midnight 7/10 in the piedmont region of Virginia.
July 11, 2025 at 1:32 PM
It’s July when these magnificent moths make their first appearance. They are large and very common at my place. These two males were the first of the season for me. Imperial moths- Eacles imperialis showed up about midnight 7/10 in the piedmont region of Virginia.