11” x 14”
Acrylic on Canvas
The Spring Bee Collection
Surreal, Visionary
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A surreal tribute to the sacred and the strange, “Frescos Bee” draws from the rich visual language of Ukrainian church frescos and the mythic symbolism of Eastern European folklore.
Painted in bold blues and golden yellows, this mystical bee carries a bouquet of enchanted fungi across her back — most notably the Amanita muscaria, a mushroom steeped in Ukrainian myth and ancestral tradition. Revered for its visionary properties and woven throughout folk tales, the Amanita represents both danger and divine connection, wisdom and wildness.
The bee’s wings shimmer like old stained glass, and the arched patterns beneath her echo the intricate designs found in centuries-old cathedrals. She hovers in a dreamlike sky, part relic, part spirit — a symbol of pollination, preservation, and the mysterious alchemy of nature.
Tags: Pollinator, Bumblebee, Ukraine, Amanita Muscaria, Queen Bumblebee
I painted “Frescos Bee” in 2023 as a commissioned piece for my friend Loshka, who grew up in Ukraine with his sister. He told me stories of their childhood — of running through old churches and wandering the churchyards, where wild Amanita muscaria mushrooms would grow just behind the frescoed walls. That image stayed with me: sacred spaces, seen through the curious eyes of a child, where mystery and memory are inseparable.
In this piece, I wanted to capture that feeling — the reverence, the magic, and the strange beauty of those early experiences. The bee became a kind of sacred carrier, hovering in a surreal sky with a collection of enchanted mushrooms on her back, including the Amanita “Magic Mushroom”. Her wings echo the stained-glass shimmer of ancient fresco halls, and the arches below her nod to the ornate patterns found in old Ukrainian cathedrals.
Beyond the personal memory, this piece is also a tribute to the vital — and often overlooked — roles that both bumblebees and mushrooms play in our existence. One pollinates the visible world; the other decomposes and regenerates the hidden. Both are essential. Both are sacred.
