The Weight of a Bumblebee (Image 2 of 3)
by Blue Myers
This triptych celebrates the partnership between sweet peas and the Western bumblebee (Bombus occidentalis). Hand-pulled cyanotypes of sweet pea vines are enhanced with watercolor to reveal their delicate pink blossoms, while the bumblebee completes the story, illustrating the elegance of nature's pollination relationships. Created using the historic cyanotype process, each botanical specimen was placed directly onto light-sensitive paper and exposed to ultraviolet light, preserving its intricate form in the distinctive Prussian blue of one of photography's earliest printing techniques. Watercolor is then carefully applied to the blossoms, bringing warmth and life to the composition. Sweet peas are perfectly adapted for bumblebees. Their deep floral tubes reward only pollinators with tongues long enough to reach the nectar within. As a bumblebee lands, its weight gently opens the flower, dusting its hairy underside with pollen that is carried to the next bloom.
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