The two hardest things to name were my son and my business. Names matter, and for a business they set the tone and personality.

“Moth On The Wall” is simple, straight forward, and unironically tells you exactly what I do. I make insect sculptures that are designed to hang on the, you guessed it, wall.

Five and a half years ago I was in the midst of starting this business. The only thing holding me back? The name. Seriously, I had customers, requests for custom orders, and the product all sorted out, but the name had me at a standstill.

At the time several businesses I admired were named with a “Blank & Blank” structure, so naturally most of my ideas followed suit. But they all felt either pretentious, too conceptual, too common, or gave off first email address vibes. Out of frustration, I jokingly said, “Why not just call it what it is, Moth On The Wall, because it is indeed just a moth… for your wall.” But it felt right! To check my sanity, I called up my younger sister and gave her a short list of names I was considering, and she immediately picked out “Moth On The Wall” too!

Sure! Hello, I’m Aleah Ford, and I make big bugs! More specifically, I make moth and butterfly sculptures that are based on real species from around the world! These sculptures have the wonder of real specimens, topped off with the charm of handcraft.

So far, I’ve had the chance to create over 70 different species, but with hundreds of thousands more, inspiration is boundless! My replicas range from life-size to 24-inch wingspans. Whether you want a moth the size of your cat, or just want taxidermy alternative, I’ve got you covered!  They are made with custom textiles, faux-fur, wire, clay, and flocking. They can even be posed to look more life-like because they are wired in multiple places.

I started making my sculptures toward the end of my MFA studies. While my degree was in Fine Arts, I spent a large portion of time studying costume and prop construction in the Theatre department. The theatre labs were a place where I could curiously and freely explore ideas and techniques. Out of those explorations I started making my moth prototypes! After my thesis show, I started receiving inquiries for custom pieces and that’s when I realized that I had something truly special.

I have a long list of moths and butterflies that I dream of making, including gynandromorphs, hybrids, and lesser-known species. Eventually, I hope to create educational displays for museums and create props for show or movie sets.

I’m driven by the pursuit of excellence. I certainly haven’t arrived at the peak of “excellence,” but in that pursuit I am constantly improving the way I construct and display my sculptures. Each time I remake a certain species I gleefully realize that it is better in some way than the last time I made it. The body is more realistic in shape, the fur is just the right shade, the wings have a better balance of being both delicate and structured. Sometimes it isn’t even noticeable in the end result, but I know that I solved a pesky little problem in my workflow.

I believe that it is this consistent growth in quality that has helped develop my reputation! If it isn’t up to my standard, I don’t sell it (or I sell it at a discount).