This is a hand signed matted 8"x8" print of an original watercolor painting titled "Amren the Spotted Orb Weaver". Each image is printed with archival inks on watercolor paper stock for a long lasting print resistant to fading. For every print sold, I will be donating 10% of the profit to wildlife rehab facilities, organizations & sanctuaries.
The Story Behind the Painting: I met Amren the spotted orb weaver in the fall of 2023. As the sun was setting that day, I saw a glimmer from a spiderweb dangling from one of our silver maple trees. When I approached the tree, I realized that this beautiful spotted orb weaver was creating her web for the evening. I watched as she meticulously crafted this piece of art that could only be found in the magic of nature. She moved quickly, yet effectively to set her trap for this evening's bounty of insects. Watching her long spindly legs move the silk strand in a circular pattern reminded me of watching my grandma with her knitting needles. I found myself getting lost in the movement, almost in a trance. It became a calming nightly ritual for me to sit beneath the tree and watch her rebuild her web. I painted her portrait to thank her for bringing that calm to me and for allowing me the opportunity to admire her artwork.
Spotted orb weavers are a native species to North America and can be found in the eastern, midwest and southwest parts of the country (as well as Mexico). The females have a large triangular-oval shaped abdomen that has a pattern similar to an upside-down spruce tree. This arachnid species is quite large at about 1/2” long (not including legs) and very hairy. They are often found in open woods, tall grassy areas, fence posts, brushy fields and on the eaves of houses and barns.
These spiders get their name from the orb shape of their webs. These webs can be anywhere from 16”-24” in diameter and are constructed with a small retreat for the spider near the top of the web. They will create this “retreat” with a folded over leaf that is secured with silk thread. They like to build their webs in areas where flying insects commonly pass through and get caught. Once caught, the orb weaver will bite the insect, paralyzing it, and then wrap the insect in silk for later consumption. As you can imagine, orb weavers are powerhouses when it comes to helping control the population of flying insects (such as mosquitoes, crane flies, & moths) which is why they are so beneficial to the environment.
A fun fact about orb weavers is that they ingest their webs in the morning because they can recycle some of the web’s nutrients to help in construction of their new web in the evening! Lastly, although these big arachnids may look intimidating, they are quite docile and hesitant to bite. They will only bite if threatened and their venom isn’t considered dangerous for humans.
