Moth Orchid

This is a miniature version of a previous painting of mine. The original was 40 X 50 cm where I had painted a number of orchid blooms and buds. For this one I selected only one fully open bloom and a few buds in the various stages of opening.

The Phalaenopsis Orchid whose generic name means “Phalaen-like” is thought to be a reference to the genus Phalaena, the name given to a group of large moths; the flowers of which supposedly resemble moths with outstretched wings in flight, hence the nick name Moth orchids.