Painted in Sept. 2026. 8”x8”.
Acrylic on stretched canvas. Price $88.00 Cdn. Unframed
As a fundraiser for the qathet Arts Centre, I was asked to donate a small 8”x8” painting. The plan was that anyone who bought an $88.00 ticket to the art centre’s fundraiser could go home with an 8”x8” painting.
Since this painting is going to be presented among a large number of other 8”x8” paintings, I decided to choose a subject that would stand out among a crowded field. I chose a bee as the principal subject of the painting. Bees are an easily identifiable subject that is relatable to most people. I was also able to paint it with high contrast against a dark background and introduce high saturation colours to make it bright and cheerful. Not only did I want to make the painting stand out in a crowd, but I also wanted a painting that could be seen and appreciated from a distance.
My rock garden has been alive with bees this summer. The flowering oregano bush seems to be particularly popular and is in constant motion as it dances to the comings and goings of hundreds of honey bees. I have always found bees fascinating, so I was excited to spend time focusing on their delicate shapes, especially the finely veined wings. As I poured over reference photos, I realized that the transparent wings act as a sort of prism and created colours as light moves through them. This added a real opportunity to play with colour in my painting.
There were two challenges that I really enjoyed while I was doing this painting. The first challenge was to paint the wings so they looked both fragile and transparent. Like painting glass, I had to show the flower as it was diffused by the bee’s wings. Secondly, I was fascinated by the texture of the bumble bee body and wanted to create that soft fuzzy texture. This is a challenge with acrylic paint and took me several passes to create something close to the effect I was looking for.
It’s always nice to know that a painting is going out into the world. I’m hoping it will find a good home and put a smile on someone’s face.
