2020 SOLD
12x6" (includes black wood frame, 14x8")
This piece is part of a series about beneficial insects in the backyard landscape. My goal is to honour the holes, dots and spots in the leaves, that show our plants are active participants in the natural cycles of the local environment. I hope gardeners can learn to fall in love with the beauty of these processes, preserve, and admire the protagonists.
Leaf cutter bees trim ovals from leaves of roses, redbuds and other thin-leaved plants, and use them as baby bee blankets for their young. Among the many wonderful things about these native bees is that they can pollinate key crops like alfalfa much more efficiently than honey bees. Also, being independent and quiet, they rarely sting unless threatened directly.