wasp in the studio

I spend the entire morning in the studio before hearing something I think is a bird, pecking at the window.

The sound comes and goes. I look up several times, see nothing and return to my work. It’s rare but for whatever reason, I’m in a very quiet studio this morning, except for this occasional distraction.

Finally, I see it! A very LARGE WASP, perhaps trying to make its way out of the studio! it’s loud and it’s BIG!

Right then, Eddie calls.
There’s a huge wasp at the studio window, I say loudly. How do I get it out!
Calmly, he tells me to open the door.
It’s nowhere near the door! It’s by my drawing table! I can’t go open the window, it’s a ginormous wasp! It’s so big, it might be a hornet!
Again, with a continued ease, Go to the window, don’t look at it. Do what you have to do. Open the window, remove the screen and let it fly out. Close your eyes, if you have to.

I don’t believe what I am hearing. I can’t remove the screen! Don’t open my eyes! WTH!!

Long story short (hours later), I manage to open the window and watch the giant wasp exit. It takes its big ole, sort of cool-wasp-self, and flies out the now, unscreened window.

I haven’t worked insect anatomy in a good long while. I have a panel. Oh, why not!?

I lay in the usual area map that places the subject into the location where we meet. Though not exactly setting it into the right area this time, as I don’t want it to find its way back!

The work starts out dark and menacing. Once I organize and paint in the creature’s anatomy, the whole picture changes.

I don’t know how to feel about it. It doesn’t resemble what I saw or how I was feeling.
#ControlAtItsFinest  #ItWasFrickingBig

…colorín colorado, este cuento se ha acabado…

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©2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY MONICA AISSA MARTINEZ

no woman is an island

I could have titled this post: The Mud Dauber, at the Wedding Party.

The doorbell rings.

Sergio, the new neighbor, stands in my front patio holding a plastic cup. Sergio is newly wed (only a few days newly wed at this point). He and his wife Terrah, recently move on to our street.

Look! We found this at our reception! He says with excitement. I look into the cup and see a wasp of some sort. Do you know I paint bugs? Yes! That’s why I am bringing him to you.
We’d like to commission a small painting! 

It’s beautiful, I tell him.  Do you know what it is? He responds, No, that’s your job! 

I plan to research and identify the small, thin-waisted, golden-yellow and warm-black wasp. I understand bright colors signify a more aggressive species…well let’s see what I discover.

Yes, this wasp can be aggressive, but usually only when provoked. I learn a few other surprising things.

It’s a Mud Dauber from the Hymenoptera order. Derived from Ancient Greek hymen means membrane and pteron is wing. They have two pairs of thin, often see through, membranous wings. The hind wings connect to the fore wings by a series of hooks, considered married wings in flight. Note: Hymen, also Ancient Greek, is the god of marriage ceremonies, inspiring feasts and songs.

Two other features are their chewing mouth parts and large compound eyes. These wasps build their nests from mud (hence mud dauber). Did I mention Sergio and Terrah bought a newly remodeled house. He didn’t care for the layout of the yard(s). They are in the process of redesigning and completing as much of the work possible, on their own.

The symbolism of the wasp (happy to report):
Communication
Focus
Order
Productivity
Progress
Team work
Construction
New start
New goals
New doors

You probably couldn’t find a more appropriate symbol representing new beginnings, on your wedding day –  congratulations Sergio and Terrah!

And thanks! for the commission.

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The blog posts titled No Woman is an Island acknowledge the people and/or organizations who support me and the work I do.

studying a tarantula hawk

My friend Patricia gives me this tarantula hawk for my insect anatomy series. She finds it dead inside her home. I learn it’s the official state insect of New Mexico. After what I read about the wasp I wonder why the Land of Enchantment would adopt such a creäture. Ironically there are a few animals that will eat a tarantula hawk wasp – the road runner, New Mexico’s state bird, is one of them.

The tarantula hawk is a spider wasp with a metallic blue body and rust colored wings. This one here has large, silvery graphite eyes (very New Mexico if you ask me). The striking appearance is aposematism  or warning coloration that benefits predator and prey – the wasp has a most painful sting. Despite these qualities it is relatively docile and attacks only when provoked.

The female wasp hunts tarantulas. When she captures one, she paralyzes and drags it to her nest where she lays a single egg in the spider’s abdomen. The larvae will feed on the live tarantula until it emerges as an adult to continue the life cycle.

The day Patricia gave me this bug, my husband saw one while on his bike ride in the Phoenix dessert. By his description, which included a newly caught tarantula, I knew what it was immediately. It lives in warm climates and here in the US is mostly found across the Southwest.