Boom (123) — Jessy Laubis Handmade
Artist
Jessy Laubis Handmade (48)
Materials Used
The cicada is painted in Golden & Acrylic paints. Amid sealed in Krylon spray. The boots are wool scraps and embroidery thread. The skirt is tulle and nylon fabric remnants and red sequins at the waist. Gorilla brush on glue was used to attach embellishments.
Your website or social media
@JessyLaubisHandmade / FB / @JLHCraftandVintage
Describe your bug and its beauty
I painted Boom to resemble the cicadas that are hatching this season. She has 5 red eyes and her body is painted a deep, mossy green that reflects and shines. The wings were painted in several veils of translucent paints to mimic the sheen of a real cicada’s wing. As for ther boots and skirt. I felt like Boom need something that spoke to the way I may things as an artist. Because I try to repurpose textiles in my work, the idea of making her an outfit seemed the easiest way to represent my voice in the piece. Boom is dressed to party and go to her funeral. I mean, when you only have a few weeks to live, you gotta create a look for that kind of occasion.
How long do you think you took decorating your bug?
Maybe 8-10 hours.
Tell us your Story
The cicadas emerging this year last visited us 17 years ago. What kind of change have you seen in your city, yourself, or someone you know over the last 17 years?
17 years ago my husband and not quite 1 year old son, moved from Chicago to Berwyn. At that time I was little freaked out by cicadas, I have to confess. We had left a city that we lived in for several years only to move a few miles away. As a new Mom, I didn’t know anyone around probably until my son went to the Park District pre school. It was lonely. My Mother in law, Omi was around a lot because of the grandson she now had. And my Mom came to visit a lot too. It was nice to get their frequent calls, even if the conversations seemed to be about nothing. In retrospect, it was sweet how excited they were with the change in our lives.
Fast forward three more years and we welcome a daughter into our lives. She seemed the most beautiful of all distractions especially for the news we were about to receive. Omi had stage 4 cancer, melanoma. She passed just after her grandson turned 4 and granddaughter turned one. It changed so much in our lives and our world. As it should when someone cared and loved so much moves on.
I was grateful to have my parents be a bit or a distraction to the new change we were adjusting to. Life is constantly going up and down and you just have to hold on really tight. Sometimes harder then you ever thought you could for the things/changes that can happen next.
Fast forward to my being a Mom of a grade school and middle school parent. The pandemic hit and my Mom, their only grandma gets diagnosed with uterine cancer & Alzheimer’s . All this was in addition to her kidney disease. Sometimes the changes get so difficult, we don’t have any idea how to navigate any of it. I don't really have any advice except… I’m now the Mom of an 8th grader and a junior. My Mom’s cancer is gone but so are some other things. Our relationship changes as her world changes. Always in flux.
When my daughter was in kindergarten she rescued a freshly hatched cicada. She carried the light green, almost white cicada on a stick and placed it on our lilac tree. She named it Boom. Boom stayed with us for almost a week. We would visit it and pet it’s back.
Boom #123 represents being here now and enjoying the little you’ve been got.
Location
Proska Park, 3001 Wisconsin Ave, Berwyn, IL 60402 , near 31st Street and Playground — Map