Big world, small things. A fly.

[buckobeck]

This weeks entry for Big world, small things is a Pyralis firefly beetle. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

[pauland]

That looks like you've chopped open the head to show the brain!

[buckobeck]

LOL. Funny you should mention it, that's what I think every time I see one of these, Paul. Strange looking little beetles, my granddaughter Rylee usually talks me in to filling a jar up with them once or twice a year for the light show. I wonder what the neighbors think when they see me flitting about the yard with a net. LOL

[pauland]

I wonder what the neighbors think when they see me flitting about the yard with a net.

Probably best to wear some clothes next time.. ;-)

[buckobeck]

Probably best to wear some clothes next time.. ;-)

Paul, I knew I'd forgotten something!

PS I'm excited, just realized Xara posted one of my illustrations on their Facebook page. Very nice to be included among such wonderful people/illustrators. Thanks Xara!

[gray]

Excellent job on a strange looking bug, Mark. I used to chase these things around when I was young.

[buckobeck]

This week I'm adding a cicada to my Big world, small things thread. Got to a point with this one that I finally had to stop because I found myself in a circle of reworking everything. I also figured out that I can apply blurs to shapes without converting them to bit maps first, wish I had caught on to that sooner. Had a lot of fun with transparencies drawing this and love the fact that everything I need to create these images is right there in Xara. Need to move on to a different project, maybe another frog this time, can't wait to get started.

[buckobeck]

Thanks Gray. I can always count on you for positive validation, may seem silly but it means a lot coming from someone whose work I admire so immensely. Just wanted you to known that.

I spent many hours chasing them as youngster also. Most of my best childhood memories were of those endless summer days and evenings wondering at the things around me, such as fireflies. This drawing brought back many of those thoughts.

[wizard509]

Great images of the firefly and cicada Mark. I remember playing with both when I was a kid. We used to take the glowie part off the firefly and stick them on our finger and pretend it was a glowing ring.

[buckobeck]

Yeah, that's great stuff Larry, those memories. We use to paint our faces like glow-in-the-dark Indians. The cicadas we would carry around by the wings and let 'em vibrate and buzz.

Was your part of Missouri witness to the emergence of the 13 and 17 year cicadas together that we had a few years back? That was something I will never forget, truly a event to behold.