Susan Hauri-Downing ecoartist


How does the close proximity between hives necessitated by urban beekeepinginfluence relationships between the bees and their keepers? Each of these inkwash paintings depicts a bee house that is within a two kilometre radius of my home hives, which is the local quarantine zone for the bee diseases, American and European foul brood. Because bees forage two to three kilometres from their home hive and rob wax or honey from other hives, carrying disease, the health of a hive within this zone affects the health of every other hive. The colours of the washes in these drawings are inspired by the vast range of colour of European pollens.

Bee house series
2km radius from my bee house, mapping neighbouring bee colonies


Bee house series
Das Haus, 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
4° 6' 1.35km (AG42222), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
28° 30' 0.96km (AG27621), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
61° 42' 0.13km (AG27552), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
104° 54' 0.8km (AG42119), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
127° 18' 0.53km (AG30211), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
131° 12' 0.7km (AG35251), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
154° 12' 1.23km (AG42230), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
154° 30' 1.13km (AG27821), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
184° 54' 1.57km (AG27411), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
204° 18' 1.8km, 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
238° 54' 1.82km (AG27571), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
356° 42' 1.5km (AG42023), 2014, Inkwash on aquarelle paper 54x44cm


Bee house series
Bee house series (installation view), 2014


Bee house series
Bee house series (installation view), 2014