Treacherous Flowers

Oil & acrylic on board.  Private collection

This painting is inspired by a 2016/17 study at Sussex University which found that nectar- and pollen-rich plants sold in major garden/DIY centres and supermarkets as "bee-friendly” contained a cocktail of pesticides in concentrations harmful to pollinators. Another study by London scientists found that bees become addicted to neonicotinoids – pesticides particularly harmful to pollinators, which is why some of them are banned in the EU for agricultural use.

For the painting - which I modelled on 17th century Dutch flower still lives - I  chose flowers that, in the study, showed the highest levels of pesticide residues. The beautiful appearance is deceptive. The “treacherous flowers” are visited by pollinating insects - a honeybee, a bumblebee, a hoverfly and a butterfly -  while dead pollinators can be seen around the vase. In the background the logos of the three multinationals that manufacture the vast majority of all pesticides are just about visible.