Bees seem to have become a reoccurring theme in the artwork I produce and for a good reason, we need them to pollinate the gardens where our food grows. The more I learn about these fuzzy yellow insects, the more fascinated I become with them. And equal to my fascination is my concern for their well being.

As an artist, the easiest way for me to raise honey bee awareness is to draw or paint them and make my artwork available on products. When someone wears or displays my bee art I hope it will spark a conversation about how important these little creatures are and how much danger they are currently in. 

There are a few very simple things anyone can do to help bees. If you have a yard, fill it with bee friendly plants. Bees love wildflowers such as cosmos or echinaceas (also known as cone flowers). If you prefer leafy foliage with fewer flowers you can plant hostas, just watch out for the deer and bunnies, they also enjoy hostas! 

Another way to help bees is to pay close attention to the use chemicals commonly used in gardens. It may seem harmless to spray your rose bush with that bottle of beetle banishing spray you picked up from the garden store, but a quick glimpse at the long list of ingredients will almost immediately tell you otherwise. We can't immediately change the practices of big agriculture, but we can at least start with our own gardens. Chemicals used in most pesticides, herbicides and fungicides can transfer to the nectar that the bees drink and as a result poison them. Neem Oil is an all natural alternative that won't harm bees. You can also use it to make your own bug spray! Planting a barrier of fragrant plants such as rosemary and lavender will also help with pest control.

If you're interested in learning more from someone who knows way more than me, I recommend picking up a copy of The Bee Friendly Garden by Gretchen LeBuhn, available on Amazon.com. A good website to checkout is The Honey Bee Conservatory, a website that not only educates but also enables you to sponsor a hive or receive a sponsored hive. Pretty neat.

To support my artwork and to provoke honey bee conversations, this piece is available for purchase on different products in my Society6 shop. It's also available in different arrangements and standalone as a bee sticker among other things in my RedBubble shop. 

If you've got a bee project of your own, I'd love to hear about it! Leave a note in the comments.