Ding Dong, The Bees Are Gone - almost
9/08/2009 04:01:00 PM Posted In ink and watercolor , mixed media , plants , watercolor , watercolor crayons , watercolor pencils Edit This 15 Comments »
It's been too long since I've posted - things have been pretty busy around here. Most recently, we discovered we've become the home for yellow jackets and another kind of wasp. Now I don't mind the bees and things, as long as they stay in their place - which is outside!! Last week I started seeing (and killing) bees in our kitchen. At first just one or two a day, but by Friday, I was killing several of them a day. Then I discovered the floor of the furnace room in the basement littered with their little yellow jacket bodies, and several of them hovering around inside the window. Time to call the exterminator!
It took several phone calls: "sorry, mam, we only kill mammals", "sorry, mam, we can't come for a couple of days", "sorry mam, we don't go out as far as you live". You'd think that exterminators would do a great business out here in Hooterville where all the critters live, but nooo. Finally this morning I found a nice man who would come out today! Yea!!! They're called Maples Exterminators, for anyone who lives in Livingston County, Michigan (they go to other counties, too). So, as the nice man in his space suit was outside spraying the dickens out of the little buggers, I stayed in the studio playing. I could hear the buzzing in the walls - it was a bit disconcerting, but I kept at it, working on a mixed media page in my journal. I had to go to the window in the guest room and watch from time to time, but I was afraid he would look up and be startled to find me staring at him and fall off his ladder, poison and all. He went around the house and ended up spraying 3 separate places outside and then came in to spray in the furnace room. He said it could take up to a week for all the bees to die ... I'm betting they'll be gone before then.
So, here is what I did while he worked. I like parts of it, and parts of it I don't like at all, but all things considered, it's a wonder I got it finished!
P.S. I just noticed that I spelled the name of the plant wrong .... it's Caladium!
It took several phone calls: "sorry, mam, we only kill mammals", "sorry, mam, we can't come for a couple of days", "sorry mam, we don't go out as far as you live". You'd think that exterminators would do a great business out here in Hooterville where all the critters live, but nooo. Finally this morning I found a nice man who would come out today! Yea!!! They're called Maples Exterminators, for anyone who lives in Livingston County, Michigan (they go to other counties, too). So, as the nice man in his space suit was outside spraying the dickens out of the little buggers, I stayed in the studio playing. I could hear the buzzing in the walls - it was a bit disconcerting, but I kept at it, working on a mixed media page in my journal. I had to go to the window in the guest room and watch from time to time, but I was afraid he would look up and be startled to find me staring at him and fall off his ladder, poison and all. He went around the house and ended up spraying 3 separate places outside and then came in to spray in the furnace room. He said it could take up to a week for all the bees to die ... I'm betting they'll be gone before then.
So, here is what I did while he worked. I like parts of it, and parts of it I don't like at all, but all things considered, it's a wonder I got it finished!
P.S. I just noticed that I spelled the name of the plant wrong .... it's Caladium!
15 comments:
I have an irrational fear of bees and other stinging, flying insects.
If they invade my home, I will surely have to leave until they are gone.
Like your leaves,
xoxo
Well, youv've experienced quite a few different things. I like the opaque watercolour and it all looks very nice. What kind of plant is it ?
Best of luck with your bees !!
What a creative way to try different media! Nice results, too.
its beautiful! but.. dontcha think it needs a bee? giggle
i really like the different textures,. thanks for labeling them
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It looks like you had the better job.
What a great idea, to sketch each leaf in a differnt media - they look good together.
Sorry about the bees - I would hate so many in the house. Outside, they are great and i do my best to encourage them but inside....
Brilliant thinking! :) That's like a great one-page overview for results with different medias. Kinda like the ones they use in catalogues ^^
Sorry to heard about the bee problems. I got stung by bees so many times I couldn't remember, because when I was 11, and our classroom had a little beehive in one of the fluorescent light brackets. They love the lights, but when you switch the light off they go crazy and fly out of the class... and that's when you get stung -__- But I am glad those weren't poisonous, nor that I am allergic to bee stings.
Thank you Nancy for your comment ^^ It's sweet!
Beautiful and some of my favorite plants!!
What a great page Nancy! I can't believe how intense the colors are with the watercolor crayons (I don't have any)! Wonderful, experimental page!
That's a great journal page. I love all the gorgeous colors on the leaves.
Great way to exterminate bees! Beautiful detail on the leaves.
The way you've used all the different media in different parts of the piece is something I've never thought of or seen done - very interesting and a good way to experiment and see clearly a comparison of results!
Can't add much except total agreement with above comments about creativity, appreciation of different media choices, composition, etc. The Caladium you chose for color pencil - is that "Christmas" - is my favorite?
Well done!
Well it looks like her personality showed up strong in this piece. Good work!
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