Ladies of State

MINNESOTA LADYBUGS

When was the last time you watched a ladybug crawl up to your finger? As she reaches the tip, she opens her spotted shell to unfurl her wings and fly away while you, mesmerized by this small miracle, make a wish.

These are childhood memories, rather than everyday experiences, of summer days that seemed to go on forever, a time when ladybugs were everywhere.

Here, in Minnesota, we have 50 ladybug species. Three species are in serious decline. What you see here is a sampling of diverse shapes, colors, and numbers of spots displayed across these ladies of state. MORE ON LADYBUGS >

DETAILS
$1250
Pen and Ink + Watercolor on TwinRocker Paper
Archival Limited Edtion Fine Art Prints are available.
© Kristin Maija Peterson 2026

Grasslands

DIFFERENTIAL GRASSHOPPER

I hadn’t seen a Differential Grasshopper since I was a kid. Now here one is, sunning himself, seemly meditating on the porch bench near the garden. He doesn’t acknowledge my presence nor seems bothered by my nosy staring. Or photographing him like I’m the paparazzi.

Despite their checkered reputation, I’m nostalgic for grasshoppers. They’re a memory from childhood. I’m running through fields, parting tall grasses like a small boat with grasshoppers leaping in my wake like tiny terrestrial dolphins.

It’s interesting that grasshoppers can only jump forwards. They are viewed as a universal symbol of good luck (surprisingly) and have the ability to connect and understand sound vibrations. In that ability, the grasshopper is considered the symbol of one’s inner voice, telling you to trust yours.

This is how my visiting grasshopper became a drawn symbol of balance and devotion and I can’t stop hearing in my head lines of Mary Oliver’s poem “The Summer Day.”

DETAILS
$1000
Pen and Ink + Color Pencil on Grass Infused Handmade Paper
22.5” x 20” (Artwork) 26.5” x 22.25” (Framed)
© Kristin Maija Peterson 2026

The Mentor

MEAT ANTS

Given that ants are social creatures, I can imagine a mature ant counseling a young ant. Ants primarily communicate chemically with pheromones, keeping rank and order within a colony.

But did you know ants sing? Musician, ecologist, and dedicated listener and recorder of natural soundscapes, Bernie Krause tells of dropping a small lavalier microphone into the entrance of an ant’s nest. The ants gathered, trying to remove the intruding object. What he recorded was the sound of a furiously stridulating leader ant rubbing its hind legs on its abdomen, sending out high-pitched signals. I found recordings of ants singing, and it sounds a bit like birds chirping.

Ants are like little gardeners. They assist in seed dispersal, helping plants spread across ecosystems. Many plants have evolved to attract ants into a seed dispersal collaboration.

Not to worry. You won’t see this species in your backyard. Meat ants are native to Australia. They play a crucial ecological role in seed dispersal and custodian services, that is, decomposing animal carcasses.

DETAILS
$800
Color Pencil on Handmade Artisan Paper
22.5” x 20” (artwork) 26.5” x 22.25” (framed)
© Kristin Maija Peterson 2021

True Bug Watercolor & Ink Drawings

STINK BUG: 11 x 14 inch on TwinRocker Artistan Paper (unframed). $300 © Kristin Maija Peterson 2026.
What is it about Stink Bugs?

Beetle Watercolor & Ink Drawings

DERMESTES MACULATUS (HIDE BEETLE): 11 x 14 inch on TwinRocker Artistan Paper (unframed). $300 © Kristin Maija Peterson 2026. A bone cleaner and crime solver. Intriqued? Learn more about this custodial beetle.

The Undertaker

AMERICAN CARRION BEETLE
These are the beetles that care for the dead, be it deer, birds, or any life that has passed away. Not only do they eat the flesh, but they also eat the fly larvae that typically populate carcasses. As grim as that sounds, what the American Carrion Beetle does is invaluable. Their undertaking services help keep our environment clear of dead bodies and diseases, as well as keep the fly population in check.

I chose to experiment on butcher paper saved after purchasing shrimp for dinner. After washing the backside and flattening it out, the smell of shrimp is gone. I found that butcher paper is lovely for pen-and-ink drawing, and the tan color makes the colors pop.

When I draw insects, in particular, I pay attention to their eyes to show the life behind the bug. In that way, I hope to incite curiosity and compassion for the insect world. With climate change and habitat loss, their numbers are thinning, too.

DETAILS
(SOLD)
Pen and Ink + Color Pencil on Butcher Paper
32.5” x 29.5” (framed)
© Kristin Maija Peterson 2021

ABOUT THE SERIES

At the beginning of WAI’s studio intensive, we were given an assignment. Draw ten pieces on intentional surfaces. After that, it was up to us to determine what that meant. Some did printmaking, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, and photography. Their approach to the assignment was shaped by the media they worked in.

Drawing has always been my first love, and I took the given assignment literally. I started thinking about a theme that I could build a through-line across ten drawings. I had lots of handcrafted artisan papers I could choose intentionally. Insects, then biodiversity (of which we are losing at an alarming rate), invasions due to globalization, and the question “What is beauty?” ran through my head. I began researching insects, their qualities, and our attitudes towards them.

My approach is to show my subjects in grand light, in peril, and with grace if not beauty. Most of all, I wanted people to look and adjust their opinions towards insects in general. Their existence allows for our existence.

I regard myself as an ecological/environmental artist and had to ask the question of my fellow students, “Is environmentalism a feminist issue?” They responded “Yes!” Feminist issues are human issues, and climate change, biodiversity, the health and well-being of this planet, and all those who inhabit it are very much human issues.

All artwork is the sole property of Kristin Maija Peterson and is held under copyright, even after purchase. The images, artwork, and contents of this website may not be copied, collected, or used for personal or professional gain without written permission from Kristin Maija Peterson. All images of artwork, sold or otherwise, are retained by Kristin Maija Peterson.