Big Leaf, Tiny Wasp’s Nest.

I have had this big loquat leaf on my table for a couple months now.
I found it while watching bees who were busy on the loquat flowers and wondered why a wasp would start a nest in such a precarious place as the exposed surface of a leaf.

Presumably the wasp felt the same and after making only 6 exquisite cells, abandoned this one for a more secure location. It was also strange that the same day I discovered a paper wasp’s nest neatly tucked under the concrete balustrade of our terrace.

The wasps are still there and are quite beautiful, slender and delicate. I hope to paint one very soon. At the moment the weather is icy so they have formed a huddle on top of the nest. I wonder if they will survive. I wonder if I will survive. Florida apartments are not built for cold weather.

Paper wasp nest cells on Loquat Leaf:

paper wasp nest

Pencil Drawing on cartridge paper 12”

The leaf is about 10 inches long. The leaf had dried out and curled in on itself, hiding those nice serrated edges .

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3 Comments

  1. That is such a lovely drawing. I've come back to it repeatably today.

  2. What to say about perfection?
    (I have no words)

  3. Thankyou both so much. It's nice to get back to some pencil work. I had thought about a bigger version of the wasps nest alone but the leaf shape was so beautiful.( the I think easier than the wasps nest!!)

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