Ladybug with 5 spots ornament

In 2016 I was asked to participate in a group Swarm exhibit, for which I created a variety of critters. My ladybug collection is posted here now. You can buy one or multiples, creating a swarm of your own in your home.

The steel wire ladybug can be hung as an ornament on a door, in a window, or as a holiday decoration. This hand made steel wire critter measures 3 1/4 inches tall by 2 1/4 inches wide. Steel wire has been hand-bent into the ladybug shape. Following that, red tissue paper and black paper was attached to the back with encaustic medium. This bug comes with a red satin ribbon for hanging, along with a green ornament hook in case you want to combine it with other creatures.

The ladybug symbolizes love, protection and good fortune. Ladybugs grant wishes when they alight on you, and some say the number of spots on that ladybug symbolize how many months your luck will last. Mother Mary will console you and reminds you to meditate in silence and solitude. Ladybugs also shield from irritations.

Most ladybugs consume plant-eating insects, such as aphids, thus protecting crops. Ladybugs are also called lady beetles or, in Europe, ladybird beetles. There are about 5,000 different species of Coccinellids.

Encaustics should be cared for as you would for any fine art piece. Encaustic derives from the word ‘burn in’ and is a process of applying molten wax colors to a surface for the creation of images or decoration that began more than 2 millennia ago with Roman Egyptian wax portraits.

Be gentle if handling the ornament in extreme heat or cold. It is best to let the piece acclimate to room temperature. Hanging it in direct sunlight may cause some fading over time.