The Work You Make Possible: Cicada Cycles

Above, you can see a detail shot of a piece that's been sitting unfinished on my desk for over a year. "Cicada Cycles," the first in my fine art "ink and leaf" series to feature gold (rather than silver) and insects other than moths, was first plotted out in January 2015 with the intent to finish it the following month. I plan these pieces meticulously, with careful attention to composition and balance, and passed through a number of variations before arriving at the final concept:

The piece is a meditation on the life cycle of periodical cicadas. Their lives begin in the dark center as tiny eggs. The nymphs that hatch burrow underground and stay below for 13 or 17 years, depending on the species - hence the 13 suns circling the ring of roots in which the nymphs mature. Once their time has come, the grown nymphs emerge from the ground and their shells into adult cicadas, taking off into the trees in the corners (after their wings have hardened) to sing and find mates.

Here follows a compilation of a few earlier stages of experimenting with the piece. I tested, among other things, the size and placement of the cicadas and the color of the leaves and border. I have a very particular impression I wish to create with these works and don't move on to the final traditional piece until I know I can express it properly.

The piece is on my desk right now - trees and leaves inked, but cicada wings unfinished - waiting for me to return to it. And there are others like it waiting in my mind for their turn to be planned and created and sent out into the world. Patreon is making it possible for me to devote time to these unique works again, and I thank everyone who has pledged with all my heart for the opportunity to do the art I love. If you enjoy my work and want to see more, please consider supporting me however you can. I want to keep creating cute and beautiful things that reflect our amazing world. ♥