Honey Bee

Honeybee

Last winter I attended "Bee School."   The Plymouth County Beekeepers Association runs the eight session course during the long, cold days of winter.   I had always been a beekeeper "wannabee" and decided that I ought to learn what was involved from the experts.   The bottom line was that I decided that beekeeping probably wasn't for me, at least living where I do right now.    The relentless winds from all directions and lack of space were the deciding factors.     However, I enjoyed learning about these docile bees, and I was absolutely fascinated with the sophisticated, organized and hierarchical structure of a thriving hive.    The benefits of beekeeping are numerous with the obvious payback of being able to harvest your own local honey.  

I learned that the term "beekeeping" is a bit antiquated.    Back in the days prior to routine and widespread use of pesticides and lawn chemicals, the hive equipment could be set up, bees installed and then the bees did the rest.      Today, successful beekeepers play a more active role as they try to minimize the common stressors on the hives, particularly mosquito spraying.

This painting started out as a warm abstract play of colors then added a honey bee amid the colorful chaos.   Chunks of pollen stick to the bee in various places.  This splashy and colorful February painting was obviously not done en plein air, but from a couple of reference photographs.