On seing this I thought it was a butterfly. It’s first trick. The second grand illusion it pulled was perfectly mimicking the colour of the stalks behind it which meant I didn’t really notice it at first.

Like a master magician this moth has incredible camouflage. Fun fact a british magician Jasper Maskelyne helped create more effective camouflage during world war two and also helped decieve the Nazi’s with clever ruses.

I’m going to name this moth Jasper. I walk through these sorts of patches regularly and see a lot of different moths and butterflies. I’ve been working on a classic illusion from the East where paper butterflies come alive. So I relish the opportunity to study them for real.

Seeing them dance in real life makes me appreciated how good the illusion is. The natural quality of paper really does ‘flutter’. It’s something to consider when you’re presenting anything.

Ask yourself if the colour, medium, form of the thing you’re using to create matches the nature of the thing you are trying to communicate.

The originators of the butterfly illusion must have been brilliant observers to notice the similarity.

I often stand or sit for a while, pondering how these beings are really wonderful. As sit I attempt to catch the echoes of old souls so that I can bring paper alive just like they did.

Written by Kristien Harris