Shoosty® Lace

Artist: Shoosty® Year: 2023

Medium: Duplex Printed Ink / 18mm Silk Twill

Size: 36” x 36”

Living in a micro world at the full size of 1/8 inch these critters can do a lot of damage to trees. Each subspecies is specialized and eats only one type of tree. They must have evolved that way over the millennium in symbiosis with their specific tree host. Lace bugs discolor tree leaves making them a pest. They do however provide food for beneficial bugs that eat them.

I was captivated by the lace-like wings. Diaphanous they are see-through. I teased out some colors and provided a background with a similar cell structure. The result is a thing of beauty no longer associated with the source.

Rendered on double--sided silk in platinum and charcoal on the reverse, they take on a new life in the hallmarks of Shoosty® bugs especially when applied to silk.

In a world so small and fine, Lace bugs live and dine, On leaves of trees they feed, A pest, yet food for others in need.

With wings of lace so fair, Diaphanous and light as air, In platinum and charcoal hue, A beauty to behold, it’s true.

On silk, their form is cast, A work of art to last, By Shoosty’s hand, they’re brought to life, No longer pests, but beauty rife.

In nature’s grand design, Even bugs so small can shine, A reminder of the wonder all around, In every creature, beauty can be found.