August 20 This occasion seems perfect to hold a promotional of my bee-themed glass art. For each piece sold, I will make a 5% donation to Pollinate Minnesota to help support the bees.

National Honey Bee Day – August 20

How did my obsession with bees start? I have always loved flower gardens and when I planned my garden in MN, my girls were young and I wanted to include plants that would draw butterflies and bees for us to observe. In recent years, the need to grow plants to help bees has become more evident and we are working to replace our grass with clover. About 5 years ago, during a very long, cold Minnesota winter, I started looking up exotic, tropical flowers on the internet to take my mind off the cold. They were incredible and looked like plants from another world. I was inspired and began sketching out fantasy florals out of glass.

When I completed my first one, I took it outside to photograph in the natural sunlight. A little bee kept photobombing my work and I thought, “Not bad, the bees approve!” That started my fascination with bees and I started looking at hives and honeycombs. I experimented with pouring hot glass and texturing it to create glass honeycombs and eventually, I added blown honey pots to the series.

If you are interested in purchasing any of my honeybee items, please email me at aprilmalphursglassart@gmail.com I will create a custom piece for you in the style you select from the photos below. For each item sold, I will make a 5% donation to Pollinate Minnesota, an organization working toward a better Minnesota for pollinators and people through experiential education, advocacy, and policy change.