documenting his feeding behavior.
“ Look at this one,” she shares, pointing to a drawing.“ Early in his green instar phase, with light pointed spurs, munching on Monarda. When I couldn’ t see him, I’ d start drawing the beebalm itself because I wanted to experience the process and really commit to it. I’ d notice shadows under the leaf because of the side lighting— I could see his shadow working beneath it. It’ s incredible!”
She reflects on how she had a trip planned to Maine in early August.“ I didn’ t want to leave him. In the end, it felt selfish— I just wanted to see him go through his full metamorphosis, to emerge as a Hermit Sphinx Moth.” Realizing that these moths belonged outdoors, jar-free, Tina carefully placed the jar back into her Monarda garden, ensuring Harry had access to more plants and a natural environment.“ If he fell off, he’ d land in the garden and find another Monarda to cling to,” she explains.
She learned that Hermit Sphinx moths often go underground to metamorphose at night— and by researching, discovered that it was Harry’ s life too, unfolding on his own timetable.“ But, oh, the pictures I took of him: big, heavy, and fat— because I was replenishing his beebalm leaves each day.” When she returned from Maine, she looked for signs of him and found other insects on the Monarda. She consulted naturalists to help identify the caterpillar and confirmed it was a Hermit Sphinx.“ I never saw Harry fully emerge, but I hope to replant more Monarda this summer and encourage future Hermit Sphinx moth caterpillars.”
The convergence of art and science for Tina began in college and matured in her advanced degree programs decades ago while living in St. Louis, Missouri, with husband Jim.
Tina holds Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, and a Master of Liberal Arts degrees. She pursued her second master’ s degree because she wanted to understand the natural history of the landscapes through her art.
Below:“ Sugarloaf Renewal II”
“ Sycamore Skies- Along the Canal”