(35) Bee Hives 1

11 x 14” watercolor and graphite on 300 pound cold press paper
Not for sale - click HERE for reprints or cards

Late afternoon on May 12th I sat up in the middle of the bloom near a bee stand. Due to a lack of native bees, Nick must truck in hives from Middlebury. The hives are stacked in three strategic areas around the orchard, this one was almost in the geographic center of the orchard.

I forgot my water color paint palette creating an anxious moment. Instead I sketched an outline of the painting and completed the work from memory at home. What started out as a mistake (forgetting my palette) turned out to be an opportunity to experiment with pencil and paint.

The view is looking south. A north wind blew over my head and created a natural highway for the bees as they flew back to the hives. It was amazing to have them fly so fast over head, a constant stream of traffic zooming back as their work day ended. The light was fading and I tried to capture the dusk with my pencil. During my sitting a jet flew across the sky leaving a gray trail that split the blue and the sun, a red tailed hawk circled occasionally - I captured both the jet trail and the hawk, a cool combination.