Fifty Bees 5 Archives - Arnolds Attic

A little textile inspiration from my YouTube ‘Meet the Artist’ Collection. Today it features the work of artist Lydia Needle.

Lydia Needle is an eco artist living and working in Somerset, England. In 2016 Lydia started a project focussing on British pollinators, especially bees – named ‘FIFTY BEES: The Interconnectedness of All Things’ – a collaborative art project about Britains 275 bees. Each year Lydia makes 50 bees from wool, stitch and vintage containers and invites fifty collaborative artists to make work in response to the ecology of one bee.

Catch up with Lydia and her stunning artwork at ACEarts. Market Place, Somerton, Somerset.

Lydia Needle’s Artwork: www.lydianeedle.com

Handmade needle felted bee by Lydia Needle

Lydia is available for Workshops & Talks.

Watch this space! – join the mailing list and be first to see some wonderful artist interviews.

Giant Cauliflower Harvest, is my latest piece of needlework created as a companion piece for the upcoming Fifty Bees 5 exhibition curated by Textile Artist Lydia Needle.

The exhibition concept is that Lydia hand stitches 50 British bees and each invited artist creates a companion piece for just one of the bees.

My little bee is the Long-Fringed Mini Mining Bee (Andrena niveata).

This little Mining bee is a solitary fellow foraging amongst crucifer-rich habitats along cliff tops and heathlands, excavating burrows as its home. As agriculture & erosion have slowly changed this beautiful landscape the bee numbers have declined and it has been listed as rare since 1987.
In 2008 it found a new home when it was spotted on an allotment, foraging amongst a vegetable patch full of crucifer vegetables such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower and sprouts.
This reminds me of some of my fondest memories including Dad’s allotment and the year he produced a bumper crop we named ‘The Giant Cauliflower Harvest’!

Size 21 x 21cm. Vintage Sylko thread, cotton cloth.

The exhibition is open at ACE Arts in Somerton, Somerset from the 8th April – 14th May 2022.

Giant Cauliflower Harvest - embroidered word, red thread about my father and his allotment — Giant Cauliflower Harvest

This piece forms part of a body of work about my Lancashire roots.

Tag: Fifty Bees 5

Lydia Needle – Meet the Artist

Giant Cauliflower Harvest