 Amongst the Thorns Graphite and pastel on bristol board Andrena varians, aka The Blackthorn Mining Bee  For the second round of FiftyBees I was allocated Andrena varians, aka the Blackthorn Mining Bee. There are substantial areas of blackthorn on the South Downs and a lovely walk between Lewes and Ringmer where they are often found by bee specialists. But this is January and I really need to find inspiration more locally.
Research taught me how to tell the difference between Blackthorn and Hawthorn. In spring the Blackthorn flowers earliest and before the leaves emerge, Hawthorn is later at the same time as the leaves. So a long walk around muddy footpaths and I found a Blackthorn bush (only to return home and find we had planted one amongst our Hawthorn hedge!)
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It's hard to know when an idea first germinates, what makes it grow and why it suddenly needs to flourish. The Wasps came to a head last summer when we had a huge nest in our loft and we began to find dead ones laying around the house (and a huge number of live ones too!) They found a way down next to the chimney and, once the pheromone path was set, it became part of their daily flight path. We ducked as they shot across the room to the window, waiting patiently until we released them. Evenings were spent listening to incessant buzzing, a fatal attraction to the lights. And so the collection grew. During the drawing there is a need to learn more. Did you know that wasps eat spiders? they clear the detritus from our gardens? they pollinated the raspberries last year? The fluffy bee has a wonderful reputation, it's time someone championed the wasp. In 2014 a Bufftail Bumble Bee Queen made a nest in our loft space and I spent a fascinating summer watching the family foraging my garden. After a few months we noticed extra activity as the young males waited for the new queens to emerge and the next generation was on it's way. Bumble Bees do not live a long life and I often found specimens dotted about the garden. Drawing them was so obvious but I didn't expect it to turn out quite the way it has. There are many days when I am unable to spend much time in the studio, but for an artist it is important to draw regularly. Although detailed and multilayered, I found drawing a bee to be just the right amount of time and so it began. Posting phonesnaps of the finished bees on Social Media gave me additional encouragement, as did the number of people asking to buy one! I do not draw a bee every day, I'm not that disciplined, but they are there for me when needed. It has been fascinating to see how they have changed, how drawing them every day for a period of time has made me look for interesting angles and deeper at the way they are constructed. Here is a small selection. If you want to see them all, have a look at my facebook, twitter or instagram photos - try searching for "#DailyBee" Nightfall Magic Ash blackened form Piercing eyes Sinister elegance Scouring the earth The light turns Rays hit the wraith Shimmering splendour Changeling filled sky Diving, weaving, blending A million wraiths as one Fearsome, awe inspiring A natural wonder Dusk falls The wraith descends Merging with the woods Disappearing as one Again, all is ash black A Twitter collaboration of Photography, Art and Poetry
Chaz E. Arnold @PaigntonPoet Reuben Howes @RDHPhotos Louisa Crispin @Louisa_Crispin
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Louisa Crispin
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Oak Cottage, Talbot Road,
Hawkhurst Kent TN18 4LU (UK) |
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