At night in the Ecuadorian rainforest, a red-eyed tree frog climbed out of the foliage and onto a flower so red it looked unreal. It settled on the curve of the petal and stayed there, breathing slowly, completely composed.
Red-eyed tree frogs sleep through the day stuck to the underside of leaves, eyes closed and colours hidden. At night they wake, open those enormous red eyes and hunt insects through the understorey. Their sticky toe pads let them hang from the smoothest surfaces, and their bright colours are a warning flash rather than camouflage.
In portrait format the picture is all about contrast: the lime-green body, orange toes and glowing red eye against the scarlet petal, with the background dropping into dark velvet. In the full-size print you can see the texture of the skin and the reflection in its eye.
It is a small creature made big, and it has real presence on the wall. It suits a narrow wall, hallway, study or child's room, and makes a bright, memorable gift for lovers of frogs and the tropics.
THE PRINT
Archival pigment print (giclée) on museum-grade fine art paper. Limited edition of 30. Hand-signed and numbered by John Wiseman and issued with a signed certificate of authenticity.
SIZE
Image size 51 x 76 cm (20 x 30 in). Other sizes are available. Please enquire.
DELIVERY AND FRAMING
Made to order in Sydney, Australia. Shipped unframed, rolled in a protective tube. Custom framing in natural timber, black or white can be added through Bluethumb.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
John Wiseman is an award-winning Australian wildlife and nature photographer with more than 25 years in the field, photographing across six continents. Winner, Science & Nature, International Loupe Awards. Represented by IRID Gallery, Melbourne and Sydney.