Apr 26, 2013

 

A STING IN THE TALE - Dave Goulson

Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee now only exists in the wilds of New Zealand, the descendants of a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century. Dave Goulson’s passionate drive to reintroduce it to its native land is one of the highlights of a book that includes exclusive research into these curious creatures, history’s relationship with the bumblebee and advice on how to protect it for all time.

For the cover we worked with artist Louise Bird, whose own fascination with the bee world has dominated her work as a printmaker for many years. The final illustration was created using mezzotint, and hand tinted using etching inks to help create different levels of tone throughout the image.

Below the final cover is a selection of covers which didn’t quite make it, but showcase more of Louise’s beautiful imagery.

You can see more of Louise Bird’s work on her website: http://www.louisebird.co.uk/

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