Honeybee — Clementine and Sage

I often struggle to “see the forest for the trees,” as they say. Things begin alright, with me scanning the metaphorical horizon and taking it all in, but before long I’m mired down in the details, counting needles on a single branch of ponderosa pine until I’m crosseyed and reeling. I don’t mean to be this way, lasered in on the minutia, but it’s certainly proven itself to be my tendency.

I’m trying, though, to have the Focus of Honeybee.

Sometimes he hovers, sometimes lands. Sometimes he zips from blossom to blossom and sometimes he takes his time. Perhaps it seems, from the sidelines, as though there is no method to his madness, but the overarching goal stays the same - gather pollen and bring it back to the hive.

If you watch closely, you’ll see that there’s no obsession over only visiting a certain type of flower or about getting every fleck of pollen from a particular bloom (which would probably be rather stressful and MUCH less efficient). Instead, Honeybee’s focus is soft, allowing him to get the easy stuff and then be on his way, laden with floral gold.

It’s not a simple task, when I feel myself honing in on the little things, to intentionally look up and reorient myself. But if I just imagine a glitter of wings, the smell of lilacs, and a familiar buzz in my ear, the big picture somehow (once again) reveals itself.
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Original watercolor painting (6”x8”) available Saturday, December 11 at 12pm Mountain Time!