Carol Spicuzza

She looks so happy resting on the trees.

Thanks, Luis! 🌼

He is! And tiny too.

For the #BlueSkyArtShow and the theme of #Jagged , a jagged ambush bug. One of the freakier #insects I've photographed.

#photography #entomology #artist #garden

Thanks! 🌙

Thank you 🌸🌟

A full moon in the treetops.

Luna tonight for #scape and #EastCoastKin

#photography #moon

thank you, Shane! 🌷

Thank you! 🌸🌼🌻

Thank you, Debbie! 🏵️🌸🌺

A metallic green native bee collecting nectar from a wild aster.

For #MacroMonday and #EastCoastKin , a beautiful native #bee on wild aster.

#MacroPhotography #photography #insects #garden #nature #Bloomscrolling #flowers

The jagua body painting is still in use for all celebrations and is one of the most enduring and important customs for both Waounan and Embera people.

They paint their bodies with a dye made from Genipa americana, the berry of a species of genip tree. The black dye is thought to repel insects, and the designs are known as "jagua tattoos."

The jagua is an inedible fruit which the Waounan and Embera people have long used as a body dye. The fruit is hard and needs to be grated. The pulp is then mixed with a very small amount of water and squeezed by hand or inside a piece of fabric to extract a liquid that darkens as it oxidizes.

To make it stronger, the liquid is often heated in a pan over a fire to make it more viscous. Then the jagua juice is ready to be applied directly on dry skin. It dries in minutes, and the indelible markings cannot be removed with any type of soap, detergent or chemicals. It remains in the skin until the upper layer of skin is naturally exfoliated by the body.

Jagua is an important fruit in the lives of the Embera and Waounan people of Panama. It is used as a black dye to paint people's skin. The pigment stays in the skin until the outer layer naturally exfoliates, usually lasting between 10 to 12 days.

A golden full moon rising over trees and reflected in a lake.

For #scape and #EastCoastKin , a #skyscape

#photography #nightsky #FullMoon #moonlovers #artist #ArtYear

A goldfinch on black-eyed susans.

For #ColorADay and #YellowThu , yellow on yellow, a goldfinch on Black-eyed Susans

#ArtYear #artist #birds #Bloomscrolling #garden #photography

Close-up of a moth with tan wings and magenta horizontal striping.

For #MacroMonday , a Chickweed Geometer

#insects #moth #MacroPhotography #photography #artist

A pattern formed by the ripples in water.

For the #BlueSkyArtShow , #alternating pattern of light and dark.

#EastCaostKin #photography #artist #PhotoHour

An orangey full moon over a clock tower.

June's Strawberry #Moon over the clock tower at Coxhall Gardens

#Scape #EastCoastKin #nightsky #photography #FullMoon #artist #PhotographersOfBluesky #ArtYear

In this acrylic painting of a dream that was all in red, a phoenix rises from a sunflower and scatters golden seeds as it flies upward. It carries a hexagonal object the dreamer thought of as a symbol of the Self. there is a crescent moon in the upper left and an owl perched on a branch in the upper right of the scene.

For #ColorADay and #RedWed

an #acrylicpainting portraying the #dream of one of my collectors. Amazingly, the dream was all in red.

#artist #painting #symbolism #ArtYear #EastCoastKin

😆 looking forward to it!

The embroidery on Miao clothing includes motifs of nature (e.g., flowers, birds, dragons) and abstract symbols like geometric shapes or Chinese characters with auspicious meanings. These elements serve as a visual record of the Miao’s worldview, cultural values, and historical events, such as their creation myths or battles. For instance, the Shanghai Museum notes that Miao clothing uses "special languages" like style and decoration to tell their survival story over thousands of years

Some Miao costumes preserve ancient styles from the Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 220), which have disappeared elsewhere in China. This preservation has led to comparisons with "Living Terra Cotta Warriors," highlighting their role as a living archive of historical dress. The intricate craftsmanship, including embroidery, batik dyeing, and silver ornaments, reflects centuries-old techniques passed down through generations

Miao festival attire, especially for women, is laden with silver jewelry and elaborate embroidery that signify social status, wealth, and cultural identity. These garments, worn during events like the Guzang Festival, encode rituals and ancestral worship, further reinforcing their role as historical records. For example, the legend of the Miao Queen’s silver crown is commemorated in headdresses, symbolizing sacrifice and cultural continuity.

They believe that everything in nature has a spirit and these spirits greatly affect their lives. Ancestral worship and shamanism are a part of daily life and folklore and superstition are strong. If a bird flies into a house to nest, it means it is time for the human inhabitants to move out. Hunters wipe their crossbows with the blood of the animals they kill to appease the spirits that otherwise may cause injury. Sickness is thought to be the result of evil spirits who lure the soul from the body.

The Miao, an ethnic minority primarily in southern China, lacks a script. Instead, they embed their history, myths, and traditions into their clothing through detailed embroidery and batik patterns. These designs often depict legendary stories of their migrations, wars, and religious beliefs.

Thank you, Page! 🌺

A full moon with clouds trailing like jets.

What's your hurry, little moon?

#Stunday #FullMoon #photography #NightSky #artist #photographer

thanks, Dani!

Acrylic painting of a blue-eyed toddler. looking to his left.

For the #BlueSkyArtShow and the theme #smooth, the smooth skin of a toddler rendered in #acrylic

#artist #painting #acrylicpainting #ArtYear #portrait #portraiture #art

Hope we get to see it completed :-)

thank you, Greg! 🌟

The full moon with a reddish aura and Venus shining on the upper right.

For #scape and #EastCoastKin , a #SkyScape

#photography #moon #FullMoon #NightSky #NightPhotography

so beautiful :-)

Close-up of an Asiatic dayflower being visited by a hoverfly.

An Asiatic dayflower being visited by a hoverfly.

#MacroMonday #BlueSkyMonday
#photography #flowers #PhotographersUnited #PhotographersofBluesky #onlybeautifulthings #photohour #Bloomscrolling #ArtYear #nature #EastCoastKin #insects

A full moon rising through the trees.

For #Stunday , the #BuckMoon rising.

#photography #moon #moonlovers #NightSky #FullMoon