Just last week, I was planting romaine lettuce in my raised beds wearing what I call my junky skirt. It’s ugly but comfortable and perfect for gardening. Sitting in the grass, I was releasing each seed just so far apart, covering them carefully with soil. I felt this tickling sensation and thought, it must be the grass, maybe a passing bug…until I saw the march of ants at my eye level. Oh my! When I realized I jumped to my feet and flapped my junky skirt around in mayhem! I was sitting on a one foot wide mountain of ants. I just about died from heebie jeebies.
In beautiful detail woodworker David Rogers of Long Island, NY has presented a 40 sculpture collection of Big Bugs in an exhibit across the country. Some are as noble as a hand crafted boat, with curves and details stained golden yellow. Others take on a more woven appearance, wound and bound with an authentic insect look. They are larger than life, drawing heads upward, giving us an ant’s perspective for a change. Not only are they entertaining but clearly educational, much to learn comes from these magnified specimens. Discussions are the text book, as many new discoveries reveal themselves in giant proportions.
Celebrate the exciting world of bugs with the David Rogers’ Big Bugs exhibition, NOW through September 8 at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.
Pictures courtesy of Morton Arboretum
