ABOUT THE PIECE
Alvarium is part of the Hive Series by St. Louis Artist Jennifer Klemp.  The first in the series of paintings from the Honeycombs, these hexagonal paintings were adjunct to the drawings which were minimalist line drawings.
 
*please note* : In the second picture I am holding the original for your reference!
 
A note from the Artist:
"The Hive Series is a set of drawings that I did several years ago when I wanted to start painting about bees and their role as an integral part of our current eco-system.
 
Populations of bumblebees and other solitary bees have steeply declined in many places, largely because of insecticide and herbicide use, habitat loss, and global warming.  Some species, such as the rusty patched bumblebee, are even listed as endangered species.
 
If all of the world's bees died off, there would be major rippling effects throughout ecosystems.
 
Without bees, the availability and diversity of fresh produce would decline substantially, and human nutrition would likely suffer. Crops that would not be cost-effective to hand- or robot-pollinate would likely be lost or persist only with the dedication of human hobbyists.
 
ABOUT THE PAINTING
 
Honeycomb drawings are minimalist line drawings, which are made with hexagons. Instead of drawing bees per se, I started sketching what the bees created, which is the honeycomb. I did want to create paintings of actual bees, however, I felt a more modern interpretation would be the honeycomb, as it is a modern element, which is created by insects.
 
When I started drawing the honeycombs, I wanted to resolve how the hexagons could fit together and also move and I had trouble solving this puzzle. I really wanted the honeycomb to curve.
 
Alvarium is the first painting in the Hive Series and at the time I created this piece, I did not know how to make the honeycombs curve or turn. I am estimating that I started this series around 2014. I have several drawings sketchbooks of the honeycombs and several small paintings that I created of the honeycombs in the years that followed the original drawings and this painting. None of the original works from the beginning are dated.
 
The paintings are color explorations- these paintings took loads of time though, so not many were made. Their prints are very special.
 
Recently, I've gone back to the series to create more versions of both the drawings and paintings.
 
 
PROTECT OUR BEES
Beekeepers across the United States lost 45.5% of their managed honey bee colonies from April 2020 to April 2021, according to preliminary results of the 15th annual nationwide survey conducted by the nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership,
 
Since beekeepers began noticing higher losses in their colonies in the early 2000s, agricultural agencies, researchers, and the beekeeping industry have been working together to understand why and develop best management practices to reduce their losses. The BIP annual colony loss survey, which has been conducted  since 2006, has been integral to that process.