Bee-Yond the Frame: Karyn Devlin’s Exhibit Devoted to Bees

If you missed Jena Maric’s solo exhibition at the Stamford Art Association Townhouse Gallery on 39 Franklin Street, this Thursday will be your last chance, and on the 2nd floor artist and Beekeeper Karyn Devlin founder of the Art of Tourism will be hosting her closing reception from 5:30-7pm. Although this timeframe for her exhibit is short, the show is a must-see.

Bee-yond the Frame is earthy, grounding, and magical, highlighting the symbolism, intricacy, and the importance of bees in our ecosystem.

Karyn’s work is experimental and full of texture. Her artwork is created using scratch board, mixed-media collage, acrylic painting and fiber arts using felt. On Mother’s Day Weekend during the opening, I added one of her two Bee Plaster Hive Shadow boxes and one of her felted vase covers to my collection. I enjoy that she offers large paintings and smaller works in very accessible price points starting $80. Ornaments and Jewelry are priced from $5-$25. Don’t be fooled, the smaller works and mementos are not “tchotchkes” and they make wonderful “thinking of you” gifts.

Her use of found objects including brass, LED lights, beads, and gold-plated bee charms, gives the artwork an elegant feminine touch that can be used for home decor. One of her brass wall sculptures “Comb to Jesus” (below) contains prayer rolls inside the compartments of the honeycomb. The artwork is inspired the Western Wall of Jerusalem, the Wailing Wall, and the four royal bee hives of Buckingham Palace.

Gallery visitors are invited to take a seed packet for pollinating flowers with a bee charm as a souvenir, which is a welcoming touch!

One of my favorite artworks in Bee-Yond the Frame is her triptych Rule of Three which explains the rules of bees in their daily lives: if you move a bee hive, the distance should be up to 3 feet max. If a beekeeper wants to start a new hive for the bees, the ideal distance is 3 miles from the original hive, and bees can live up to 3 years.

Reviews of Art Critic in 1 Minute videos are on Instagram, and they will be on YouTube soon! SAA Gallery hours are 12-3pm Friday-Sunday. On Saturday from 4-7pm, SAA will be opening a new group show Edges & Atmospheres featuring the artwork of Kelly Edwards, Rebecca Dunn, Matthew Franz and Jessica Porter, along with solo show by David Pollard.