Friday, May 30, 2008

A Weird Sort of Neil Gaiman/Lisa Snellings-Clark Sort of Almost Collaboration


...in which dead things and honey were utilized.



I totally get into doing this kind of thing. It's like a grown-up version of that summer camp activity where you get some macaroni, glue, a couple of feathers and a jelly bean and are told to create something cool.


When you're a grown up it's the same, except that you get to start with cooler components.


In this case, it was dead bees from one of Neil's hives, and other stuff. What to do? Lots of ideas came to mind. Here is the first one finished.
We put this and also some of the honey produced this year in the BUG OUT sale.
You can scroll down for more photos of work or click on the BUG OUT box top right to get there.
We'll be adding new work all week.


23 comments:

Dan Guy said...

Oooh! Lovely. I want a closer look!

Rubius said...

Fascinating and fabulous!!! What a wonderful box idea.

I love those projects that just feel like summer camp things.

Glad you are having fun.

I wonder if those will ship over the border...???

birdchick said...

Very interesting to see what you did with our bees. It's cool that after they died, they became art.

ravyn said...

also, much luuuuurrrrrve for Queen Moluska **sigh**

ravyn said...

i've posted one of my POTB42 photos to the forums, anyone else take POT photos at Balticon?

mordicai said...

That is actually how I originally got here-- I read Mister Gaiman's blog & he said he had shippped his dead bees to you. "Who is this excellent individual who receives oodles of dead bees in the mail?" I said, & voila.

lisa said...

dan guy: I'll see if I can get an even closer view up.

rubius: I think we can find a way. I like the challenge of thinking of a way to use 'objects at hand.'
That, or I never got over summer camp.

lisa said...

birdchick: I'm so pleased you like it! I love that when I look at the piece, with the queen in her blue sky, I am aware of her life. Full circle is my favorite shape, I think.
We should collaborate!

lisa said...

ravyn: those are great photos! Maybe we'll have to start a page of POT with notables. We're starting to get a good collection of authors and artists with poppets.

I must say, I'm pretty happy with her majesty Moluska. She's even prettier in person. Thank you!

lisa said...

mordicai: cool! I'm really glad you stuck around. I like what you add to our bit of weirdness around here.

mordicai said...

I stick around when I see neat stuff-- I'm actually here at this very moment cooking up a redirect for the folks at pmog.com...

Derek Ash said...

1. This reminds me of the queen-bee poem I sent you a year or so back. That was a darker sort of piece though, and this is decidedly more bright.

2. I would very much like to get a closer look at the queen bee there. Is she in resin? My wife has just started toying with the idea of resin encasement for jewelry pieces, as we've seen some really interesting pieces on Etsy.com.

3. I'd love to see this type of art boost the profile of the current problems that seem to be plaguing the bee population.

Anonymous said...

Oooh - Georgeous!

Can you tell us how the bees and the wax are preserved? This isn't just idle curiosity, Ithink it may effect whetehr they'd let it into the country...(UK) - or indeed out of the states! Do you know?

Longing to see what the rest of the bees become :-)

Anonymous said...

This is what the UK/EU rules say, and I guess that the comb parts would potentially be a "prduct containing honey"....

There are strict rules about importing honey, and products containing these.

"Each batch (or 'consignment') of honey that you import must:

come from a country approved to export this type of product to the European Union (EU)
come from an establishment registered by the competent authority of the exporting country
be accompanied by a health certificate
enter the EU through a Border Inspection Post where veterinary checks must be carried out"

birdchick said...

Lisa

I'm in anytime you are. I love what you do!

FabulousLorraine said...

I love what you did with our dead bees. I shall comb the woods, looking for more dead things for you!

(actually, it would be more selfserving if I said "come out here and find your own darn dead things" because then we would get to see you!)

Carl V. Anderson said...

"When you're a grown up it's the same, except that you get to start with cooler components."

You have such a fun way of putting things...this brought a big smile to my face.

I had been wondering just where the bees would take you, this is too fun!

lisa said...

RRNN: Would you like to rework it as a "Queen in Repose" aka dead?
I have more images of her. She is magnificent

lisa said...

majorie: They're preserved in a thin layer of polyurethane

I'm not overly worried about it until I actually have an over the border buyer. Then I'll consult people who know more than I about these things.

Rubius said...

ah.. you see I was wondering if we were going to be favoured with dead bugs at VCON. I was worried about them making it across the border.

lisa said...

Lorraine: I'm totally looking forward to visiting. I'll try to find a hole in my schedule sooner than later.

birdchick: email me! when I come up we'll make time to brainstorm.

lisa said...

rubius: Not to worry. I'll keep things safe and legal.

we don't want any imperial entanglements...

spacedlaw said...

Don't forget to note the content as "ART" and not "Honey" when mailing to Italy, please, otherwise the package might not make it...