Sometimes the same bee, on the same flower, on the same day gives you two very distinct looks. Ok it might only have happened once so far in the Bee Moments™ series, but this particular Carpenter Bee was a super model.

I came upon it gathering pollen from a Wild Strawberry flower next to a river on one of my favorite local hikes. At first it paid me little concern in the Busy Here photo. But after a bit of time being photographed; it got its ire up; raised its wings, and appeared to try to scare me off. I love how the focal plane includes the bee’s head and forward part of its body. The clarity of the forward wing almost cuts toward the viewer to scare them off, while the glint in the bee’s eye creates a sort of stare down. It also seems like its hair is raised a bit more than usual. All of this is framed by a billowy flower that draws you in and gentle green leaves the push the scene forward. It’s obvious from the bee’s speckled, yellow, pollen covered body what it was doing before it noticed me with the warning Easy There.

Check out the companion print Busy Here. When hung together, they make a good diptych that tells a really nice progressive story however you stack them. You can also hang this print in your office, bedroom, or any space where you or those around you need a tiny reminder of boundaries. As this Carpenter Bee warns each passing viewer, “Easy There. Step Back.”

View Artwork