BUZZKILL

"BUZZKILL", 2026. Pencil crayon on mixed media paper. 6 x 8 inches.

As universally disliked as mosquitos seem, they still remain an important part of BC's ecosystem. Male mosquitos feed on nectar instead of blood and are pollinators. Their larvae also serve as food for small birds, fish, and other insects such as dragon flies.

For this drawing, I decided to place references aside and focus on sketching from imagination. Mosquitos were flying in my room so that became the focal point. Then I spotted an empty water sampling syringe on my desk and sketched a hybrid of the two. The aim was to capture that feeling of spotting a mosquito on your arm (the shock/disgust that follows knowing that they're stealing your blood).

The rest of the process was placing bright coloured pencils on the surface of the paper, and hoping it would all come together in the end.