I got several nice shots of a marsh fly this past summer and sketched from the photos. While going through the sketchbook looking for something to paint, I decided that the fly would be fun and interesting to work on. I typically don’t think much about the “sale-ability” of my paintings. Most often I paint birds, mammals and dragonflies, which seem (at least to me) to have a fairly universal appeal. Midway through the painting it occurred to me, “Who on earth is going to want to buy a painting or a print of a marsh fly?” It appealed to me, though it’s been said that artists don’t usually make good businessmen. Oh well. (Hey, at least it’s not a maggot!)
In the macro world it has a certain attractiveness. Bright red eyes, an orange body and long, stilt-like legs make for an interesting contrast to the smooth, green background.
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