Azalea Bumblebees

Azalea Bumblebees

Azalea Bumblebees ink drawing by artist Andreas Engel (Æ)
Azalea bumblebees ink drawing by artist Andreas Engel
Azalea Bumblebees 2024
Andreas Engel

Pen and ink on paper
9″x12″

$1200 framed.
Interested? Email your request here.

A personal note about this piece:

From the onset, I knew I wanted to do a piece with a lot of dark areas to help round out the many lighter pieces in my Inkscapes series, and the brightness of the flowers and dark shadows of the inner parts of the azalea bush offered opportunities for rich contrast. In the preliminary work for the piece, I sat on my front porch and patiently photographed bumblebees buzzing around my blooming azalea to get references of bees from all angles, and in different positions. I used five different weights of pens to provide a rich range of tones and depths. During the making of the piece, I found that even though I knew where all the bumblebees were I was surprised to find them there. The azalea bees contrast in similar ways to the flowers and depths of the bush. In this way, it’s fun to get lost in the details and be prepared to discover what is in them.

–Æ

Peacock and Buttercups

Peacock and Buttercups

Peacock and Buttercups 2024
Andreas Engel

Pen and ink on paper
9″x12″

$1800 Framed.
Sold

Limited edition prints are now available!
Archival giclée prints on Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper
Paper size: 13” x 9.5”
Image size: 11” x 8” (slightly smaller than original)
Limited to 5 prints/image, hand-signed by the artist
Price subject to availability (base price $125)
Request print availability and price here.

A personal note about this piece:

Can color be conveyed in black & white? It’s not an original question, but it’s what I set out to explore with this piece. As a reference, I photographed a peacock at Taft Farms in Housatonic and was mesmerized by the textures of its plumage. For this drawing I placed the peacock in the nearby setting of Housatonic Flats where buttercups and rocket flowers abound, providing a composition of color and textures.

–Æ

Highland Coos

Highland Coos

Detailed ink drawing of highland coos by Andreas Engel (Æ).
highland coos ink drawing by Andreas Engel
Highland Coos 2024
Andreas Engel

Pen and ink on paper
9″x12″

$1200 framed.
Interested? Email your request here.

Limited edition prints are now available!
Archival giclée prints on Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper
Paper size: 13” x 9.5”
Image size: 11” x 8” (slightly smaller than original)
Limited to 5 prints/image, hand-signed by the artist
Price subject to availability (base price $125)
Request print availability and price here.

A personal note about this piece:

While most people watched the eclipse on April 8, 2024, I pulled my car over to photograph distant, majestic, Highland Coos (or Highland cattle) grazing on a farm in Egremont, MA.. Due to swaths of deep, wet mud, they appeared to be wearing tall black boots over their furry legs. As I photographed them, one came from the distance to greet me—close enough to where I could have run my fingers through its gorgeous twists and tumbles of white fur—but its long horns were enough to keep me at bay. The experience was so rich that it inspired me to make this ink drawing as part of my Inkscape series.

–Æ

Newts

Newts

Newts 2024
Andreas Engel

Pen and ink on paper
9″x12″

$1400 framed.
Sold.

Limited edition prints are now available!
Archival giclée prints on Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper
Paper size: 13” x 9.5”
Image size: 11” x 8” (slightly smaller than original)
Limited to 5 prints/image, hand-signed by the artist
Price subject to availability (base price $125)
Request print availability and price here.

A personal note about this piece:

There is a time of year in the Berkshires when bright orange newts scatter about on forest trails. In this piece, I wanted to create a labyrinth of textures—roots, twigs, oak leaves, and acorns—and hide newts for the viewer to discover. –Æ

Queen Anne’s Lace

Queen Anne’s Lace

Queen Anne’s Lace 2024
Andreas Engel

Pen and ink on paper
9″x12″

$800 framed.
Interested? Email your request here.

Limited edition prints are now available!
Archival giclée prints on Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper
Paper size: 13” x 9.5”
Image size: 11” x 8” (slightly smaller than original)
Limited to 5 prints/image, hand-signed by the artist
Price subject to availability (base price $125)
Request print availability and price here.

A personal note about this piece:

In the creation of this piece, I was initially drawn to the intricate, upside-down chandelier quality of the dead Queen Anne’s lace flowers during winter months. I decided to set the dead flowers against an impression of some of the landscapes I’m familiar with in the Berkshires. While a fly would not be present during cold winter months, I decided to add it to bring an element of life and motion. The combination of literal detail and invention is part of what brings mystery and magic to the piece. –Æ