Dragonflies play a vital role in telling us the health of our natural environments. They can be just as colorful as butterflies and many other insects. The artist brings out the earth tones with a hint of the reds in this piece. The mix of color and design is intricately painted on the frontside of the wings and body. The artist brings out the reflective nature of the wings using capiz shell.
The basic frame of the insect is created using tin, which is powder coated with a black finish. The frame is reinforced using tin wire along the inner edge. Capiz is an oyster shell and the primary purpose of the oyster is as a source of food. However, the by-product, the shell, can be used for decoration. Due to it being a natural material, the natural colors of the capiz come through as tans and browns underneath the paint. The shell is then painted the bold colors you see. The entire front facing piece is carefully hand-painted keeping in mind the reflective qualities in the color of insects.