SHANNON MULQUEEN

“Bee The Change” is a screen printed art piece that was created in a beginning screen printing class taught by Melanie Yazzie at the University of Colorado Boulder.

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I created "Bee The Change" to bring awareness to colony collapse.  All around the world, bees and other pollinators are dying off in large quantities due to pesticides and habitat loss.  Without the help of bees, many raw goods and produce would not be available to people and there would be huge ecological repercussions. These issues as well as my love for these hard working critters have inspired this art piece.

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By using screen printing processes, I was able to add depth with various layers.  I chose to keep the color pallet simple and clean to convey the message in a light and elegant way.

I was able to simplify the idea by creating a hexagonal honeycomb pattern and accent a few honeycomb with a sheer, glossy ink that only appears in the light. I used this ink to represent honey, one of the many joys these pollinators bring to people's lives.  I wanted it to be subtle and add to the conversation of colony collapse in a way that engages people with something familiar.  Showing the details and patterns on the bees gives contrast to the background and shows the delicate nature of these tiny creatures.  Although tiny, bees are powerful and have had a huge impact on the world.  With this piece, I hope to share that message.