Calling the amazingly-lifelike glass insects created by artist Wesley Fleming cute is not quite right, but there’s something darling about them anyway. The MIT Glass Lab-trained artist has been working with glass for nearly 20 years, and he has positively perfected his representations of insects. (How did I not know about MITGL? I clearly need to get myself there to check it out.) As a child in rural Pennsylvania, Fleming got in the habit of taking walks the woods, looking under logs and rocks, and getting inspired by whatever crawls out. That sounds both fascinating and gross. I’m in!
Fleming works with a hand torch and soft borosilicate glass rods to meticulously create his beautiful bugs. He learned the technique studying with glass masters Vittorio Costantini and Lucio Bubacco on the Venetian island of Murano, Italy. And while his use of color and pattern may be fanciful, his insect anatomy and dimensions are faithful to the original.
You can see all of Wesley Fleming’s wonderful glass creations on his website and on Instagram and Etsy.
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My OBT 
February 15, 2020 at 7:14 am
He has created lovely likenesses of some of my favorite bugs and the necessary flowers. The pieces all look quite intricate. I love the mantis and his sense of humor about the carnage.
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February 15, 2020 at 1:03 pm
I thought it was pretty brave of him to post the broken bits. I imagine that must be a regular occurrence with glass art, but we almost never see it.
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February 15, 2020 at 8:31 am
Oh he is good and really knows his bugs.
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February 15, 2020 at 1:04 pm
I think they’re just lovely!
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February 15, 2020 at 8:58 am
How wonderful! I want one.
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February 15, 2020 at 1:05 pm
Me, too! My niece is a little obsessed with lady bugs, so I’m thinking of getting her one. She’s 7 now, and old enough not to break it, I think.
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February 15, 2020 at 1:32 pm
That’ll make a wonderful present she’ll always treasure.
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February 15, 2020 at 3:24 pm
Me too.
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February 15, 2020 at 7:07 pm
These glass insects really “bug me”.
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February 15, 2020 at 8:11 pm
I see what you did there!
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February 15, 2020 at 8:11 pm
creepy, but still beautiful. I wouldn’t want one though.
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February 15, 2020 at 8:11 pm
I imagined they wouldn’t be for everyone…
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February 17, 2020 at 7:40 pm
Amazing!!!
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February 18, 2020 at 10:08 am
They absolutely are!
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February 19, 2020 at 7:59 am
These are wonderful. Thank you Donna. Such color to brighten a grey morning with snow in the offing!
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February 19, 2020 at 11:09 am
I just love them!
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