Wednesday, December 10, 2008

I miss holding you.

I made a new print featuring my favorite bug. Behold the striped fluffiness of the woolly bear caterpillar! I think I'm more pleased with this print than anything I've ever made because I never thought I'd be able to successfully draw and print the subtlety of the woolly bear. I hope I don't come across as immodest, but I'm pretty proud of myself with this one! It's available in my shop for just eight dollars because it's a very small print (the caterpillar is actual size).

wooly memory time:
One time when I was a child, I was headed to a checkup with a doctor that I'd never met before and I remember being very very nervous walking towards the building because I was expecting to receive a shot. I was dragging my feet and looking down when I stumbled across a fine and fuzzy bug wiggling across the path ahead of me. My mother told me that it was a woolly bear caterpillar and that I could bring it into the Doctor's office with me if it would make me feel better. I was greatly comforted and have no memory of any stinging shots because I was probably distracted by my new friend.

another woolly memory:
In college, I went on a field trip to Storm King Sculpture Park with my class. I had a great day walking all through the park looking at huge installations in the brisk fall weather. After a few hours of art absorbing, I was pretty spent and decided to just stroll along a path that the park maintenance staff used with golf carts for the remaining hour of the trip. I was looking down with my hands in my pockets being a little chilled and over saturated when I spotted a woolly bear hustling across the path. Then I saw another and another! There were probably twenty caterpillars crossing the path in front of me and I was dismayed to see that a couple had been smushed by the golf carts. I spent the rest of the trip as a caterpillar shuttle and safely escorted the rest to the other side.

I haven't seen one in years. I wonder where they disappeared to. Maybe I need to get out more often.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I adore woolly bear caterpillars. We found one in our house a few weeks ago. We debated keeping it in a jar for the winter but then I read up that their bodies undergo a process that basically crystalizes them to sustain winter. Set him go. We named him Reynold.

brandi said...

just found your shop on etsy and i LOVE it! keep up the great work.

i always called the wooly caterpillars "warm fuzzies!"

Christine said...

Okay, now THIS is Jessica's favorite. She wants one. It is so cute and I can just feel his fluffiness! Job well done :o)

Anonymous said...

This is by far one of my top favorites you've done ever. I took one look at it and melted. I miss those guys!