Who would miss an opportunity to paint on May Day?  Not me!  With a burdened heart, struggling to grab hold of bits of joy that skitter themselves through every ordinary day, I headed out to the Gorilla House.  Determined to continue learning about paint and building on a 2 x 2 series, I was very much influenced by my recent visit to the Bee Kingdom glass blowing and studio open house.

Of the three inspirational concepts offered last evening, I latched on to the idea of close imitation of something and the word, ’emulous’.

The bee, known for its pollination abilities, represents so much to humanity, both as a symbol and as a concrete reality.  Recently, the bee has been in the news as North America responds to the current collapse of hives everywhere.  In my mind, this tragedy is a reflection of our insistence on being consumers above all else and our need for production above the health of our environment and the health of other species.

Conversations flare up whenever I react to these news stories, primarily because I offer no solutions.  I tend to know a little about a whole lot of different environmental crisis…this is because I am constantly being bombarded with the results of poor judgement where big industry is concerned.  Back to the bees.  On this 2 x 2 panel, I wanted to capture an imitation of the beauty I find in bees, what they do and the gift they have been to our species on this planet.  I also want to express my grateful heart.

Embedded in the piece are a few verses from the Acts of the Apostles.  Pentecost falls on May 19, 2013.  It would do us all well to contemplate our personal mission and responsibility.

Thank you to Rosie for her purchase of this piece at auction.