I can't say I know much about bees except that I walk slowly away from them. I'm also allergic to the sting. I know Angeliki knows lots about them and that Ed was raised by them….so he says.
Anyway, a few years ago while going to the university, I did a few weeks of study of bees in my momoprint class. Mostly the prints were small in size which annoyed the heck out of my instructor. Instructors always want you to go BIG. Here are a few of my mono prints. They are made by painting printer's ink or oil paint onto a metal or a Plexiglas plate. Then placing a damp piece of print paper or other rag content paper on top of it and running it through a press. From most of them, I got one good print and a ghost. The ghost print is usually very light but you can draw or paint into it to enhance it making the ghost a mixed media print.
As you will notice, this is my small avatar picture. The size of this is approximately 4in x 6 in. and is printed on watercolor paper. Scanning it in made the texture of the paper really stand out.
Two whirling bees.
The one below is quite small being 2 1/2 inches x 2 1/2 inches and is entitled "Little Bee".
This is the ghost print of Little Bee. I can use watercolor or acrylic paint to enhance this. Also prisma color pencils or pastels could be used. 
Oh, and I can't forget a bee in a honeycomb.
If you are interested, there is more information about printmaking in one of my older posts here.
thesnakeandiandthebutterfly 
Interesting post Pam. I know nothing whatsoever about art, so any info I glean is a good thing. Liked the honeycomb bee.
:up:
Very interesting technique. Again today I have learned something :smile:And the pictures are attractive.
I hope you carry an injector pen with epinephrine, Pam.I found monoprinting interesting, because you have to think backwards … but fundamentally unsatisfying. Your results are more sussessful than mune were.
You think backwards beautifully, Pam! I love your avatar, but I hadn't realized this was a sample of your own work (though maybe I should have).My first name, Deborah, is the English form of the Hebrew word, Devorah, which means bee. So it is interesting to me to see you explore this theme.
Carol: Glad you visited.Linda: Thanks. I'm still gleaning each time I see photos from different countries of the art and culture.Allan: I loved learning about this but since I don't have a press, will try the old fashioned way of rubbing the back of the paper with a wooden spoon. dW: I really enjoyed the results I got. Not sure if I even tried to think backwards. I have enough trouble thinking forwards so just drew or painted what I liked on the plate. The result was always a surprise. As to the epinephrine, I just try to keep a Benadryl in my purse. I don't have a severe allergy but the time I got stung, it swelled up the size of a softball. The bee flew up my pant leg and stung me on the thigh. Those darn bell bottom pants! 😆 Deb: My instructor kept telling us to think in reverse and I couldn't. He was pleased with my results nevertheless except that he felt they were too small. Didn't know that about your name and it's meaning. A while back, I looked up the meaning of mine but have forgotten what it was.
Lovely prints, Pam.:up:
"I know Angeliki knows lots about them and that Ed was raised by them….so he says."somehow I find it wonderful that Ed is a bee child and I am a beekeepers child :pa great entry Pam,and the art is wonderful!! thanks for sharing!
Superb :yes:
Hi Pam, thank you. 🙂
Looking forward to your continued post. 🙂
Carol: You're welcome. Angeliki, Star and Andy: Thank you.I was also going to put in some info on the symbolism of bees in art but there was so much info I'll have to save it for another post. It's really very interesting.
Bee along with fleur de lis was one of Napoleon's symbols if my memory serves.
Barberini coat of arms … and I think the Mormons use a beehive.Bees are a symbol of industry.
Beautiful prints. :up:
Mixed media rule! I wasn't a fan, until a friend opened my eyes. Unfortunately, the only media I can mix are digital – no scanner, no printer, and I haven't done any hand drawing worth mentioning in a dozen years.Pro tip: raytraced 3d images can be easily blended with (scans of) hand paintings.
Love the post Pam. :up: I always wondered exactly what a mono-print involved as far as it's production. Interesting process. And thanks for clearing up what your avatar really is…..I didn't ask because I thought I was the only one who didn't know, and didn't want to sound iggnat. :left::right:
I like the first one, the one you have as your avatar. It looks pretty real to me and I thought you put a dead bee in scanner and then just worked on it in Photoshop or some other photo editing software :doh:
Originally posted by gdare:
😆 After scanning it in I thought it looked like fly on the wall. Originally posted by Phantom2:
P2, I really love the process and the results. I found I liked the more expressionistic style better than the more detailed ones. Originally posted by claudeb:
Claude, I love mixed media and wish I remembered how do to some of the things I learned in the required computer class. It was in Photoshop and I do not have that on my pc.
Originally posted by Dacotah:
It probably won't be the next one because I tend to put art posts in between others. Originally posted by L2D2:
Interesting. I'll have to include this in my symbolism post later. Originally posted by derWandersmann:
This I knew but did not know the Mormons use the beehive.Originally posted by Shaunak:
Thank you Shaunak.
🙂
Not sure about the Mormon reference … this is the most concise thing I found about beehives as symbols in the Wikipedia:"The beehive is an important symbol in Freemasonry, holding a prominent place in the lecture of the Master Mason degree, and is a symbol of industry and co-operation.The beehive (usually as an iconified skep) is one of the symbols of the United States state of Utah. It is associated with the honey bee, an early symbol of Mormon pioneer industry and resourcefulness. (See Deseret.) Some early Mormon leaders were also Masons, such as Joseph Smith. The beehive, along with several other masonic symbolisms, is still a part of Mormon heritage and culture.The beehive also is considered a symbol of industry in heraldry.In Wellington, New Zealand, the round building used for Parliamentary offices is known as the "Beehive". The official website of the New Zealand Government is http://www.beehive.govt.nz.Beehive Brand matches made by Bryant and May popular in New Zealand have a logo based on the traditional skep beehive design."
Well, I don't have Photoshop but have Corel Paint Shop Pro X. It has a tutorial, however, right now I do not have the motivation to start it. If and when I do, I will certainly PM you for help.
Thanks for that info dW.
I don't have Photoshop either. I'm a GIMP person. 😛 But I have a friend who uses Corel products. And he is an artist, unlike me.
Originally posted by PainterWoman:
Need any help? I'm no artist, but I like to dabble, and I may be able to teach/advise you in software matters.
:up: bees 😀
Ah it was a bee avatar. I thought it was a fly. Sorry!Those are great. The first one looks amazing, like you put a dead bee on a xerox machine and copied it.But I like the honeycomb one too. And you know I have to put my bee girl graphic here — it's just the exact spot for it. "Oh honeycomb,
won't you be my baby
Oh honeycomb be my own!"
Claude: I'm going to have a look at GIMP. Originally posted by edwardpiercy:
😆 That's what Darko said. Since I've wanted to be a fly on the wall at times, that top one is called "Bee on the Wall" Originally posted by BabyJay99:
Yup, and I've been busy as a bee lately.
I have GIMP2 on my machine and have no earthly idea how to use it.
Originally posted by L2D2:
It's OK, that's where we all started. 🙂
I'm still confused as to what a Monoprint is. Is it derived from monochrome, which would then refer to Black & White paintings? And why would you have to think backwards?Okay, I just reread your Post a couple of times. I think I got my bearings and understand a little bit better what's going on here. Now my question is, why not paint on the cloth to begin with instead of painting on the plate and running it through the press? What's the advantage? Is there a certain LOOK / effect that you achieve doing it via doing it this way instead of cutting out the middleman and painting on the cloth from the outset?Back to the thinking backwards bit. That really wouldn't come into play unless TEXT was involved, would it? Or what am I missing?
WwwwwwWOW, Pam! That is very intricate work on that 1st image. :up: Is that background the actual water color paper on which it is printed. The bee almost looks superimposed on that background.
Originally posted by Suntana:
For me, it is the look and the fact you only get one good print and the possibility of two ghost prints to work on. Painting on the cloth or paper would be a painting not a mono print. As for thinking in reverse, some artists want a specific image turned a certain way so they draw opposite what they want. Text for sure would have to be written in reverse. I never put text in nor did I care which direction my image was. Wiki explains monoprints a little better:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoprints
Originally posted by Suntana:
Yes, that's the actual watercolor paper with the printed image of the bee. Since the paper has to be soaked in a pan of water first, then blotted before placing on the plate, watercolor paper has a tendency to warp slightly when drying. Actual print paper does not do this, or very little. When I scanned in the piece, all those shadows are where the paper had areas of warping in it. Sort of like bubbling in a way. But you do not see those shadows on the actual print. Oh, and for making some of the details, I used a toothpick to scratch certain areas and a very small brush. On the other prints where the background is black, I roll black printer's ink or brush on black paint onto the plate, then using different tools (q-tip, toothpick, dry brush etc.), wipe out my image. I was going to say something else now totally forgot.
Thank you Lois.
Very interesting. I love the avatar too!
😉 :up:
I kinda figured you probably had to use some of those Bob Ross techniques and do the tiny details with something like a toothpick as you did.I started looking for hidden images in this set of Pics like I do on all your other Pics. Nothing seemed to be materializing. I was getting ready to give up and declare No Hidden Images found. Ahhh! But, finally I found 2 little birds. In the 1st Pic, the hind legs of the bee are actually also the legs of a little bird. Just follow its little body up to its head. There's the beak there. Hmmm? I think maybe it looks more like a little duck. Then in that bushy area behind the bee's head, there's another curled up little bird there. It's smaller than the 1st bird.
Okay, you say you don't do the reverse thinking thing. But, would you say … have you ever noticed whether YOU paint something better if it is facing Left vs. it facing Right? Like for instance, that 1st bee. Not that I'd remotely be able to paint that, but, if I COULD paint, I get the feeling I'd be able to paint it better as you have it vs. if the bee was facing to the Right. I think I'd have less natural control painting from Right to Left than Left to Right.Like on the many Art Classes you've been in with LIVE Models, would you say they're more often facing Left (The Artist's Left) or straight ahead … or do they equally face to the Right? (The Artist's Right) Would you say YOU get equally excellent results no matter which way the Models are facing? You don't feel perhaps needing a tad more effort and care when painting a Model that's facing in a particular direction?
Bob Ross….bless his heart. :rip: I don't seem to remember him using toothpicks. I must have missed a those episodes.I hadn't looked for any hidden images in these but I saw the birds as soon as you mentioned them. Also, I've never noticed if I found something easier to draw depending on which direction it faced. The teacher usually tells the model what pose to do and, for me, I like a 3/4 view. Never thought if it was easier or not, I just like it. But it never really mattered what direction because I'd gotten to the point I could draw anything. When standing in front of a white canvas or a white piece of paper, I have found if I think too much, I end up not painting or drawing at all. I HAVE to zone myself out and away from the surroundings. Weird, I know, but I did it all the time. Sort of self hypnosis, if you will.
Hi Pam…I like very much your bees. Congratulations, you are really a great artist. Nice avatar too.
Thank you very much Rocio. It's so nice to see you.
Pam, you are experimenting with background colours of your blog? 😀
😆 Yes, just playing around. Eventually, I will attempt the other things Opera has now provided instructions for. I like the colors in this one so may keep it for a while.
Then it's a keeper then. :p
Yes, it looks girly 😀
:yes: