Aren’t they cute?! A couple weeks ago I was asked by James Hosking, the art director of the Chicago Reader, to think about cicadas for a cover. Not just any cicadas. THE cicadas. Billions of them, brood XIX and brood XIII, popping out of the ground after 13 and 17 years of larval stage for the Double Emergence. After the eclipse and the Northern lights, it’s time for Illinois to party with bugs.
The cover was made using several techniques, with paper cut by hand and by way of a laser cutter (thanks to Margie of the Itty Bitty Mini Mart) that were then hand-painted. Thank you James for your trust and patience and dedication to the art!
Actually, go check out Jame’s wonderful paper cut art here.
A toast to bugs and all things strange and beautiful.
>> making of “Under the Covers” - mini interview with James <<