I first became interested in bees about ten years ago when I watched what turned out to be a leaf-cutter bee push herself through a tiny water hole in the base of a flower trough I have hanging over my fence. I watched as she then carried little pieces of leaf back up through the hole to lay her eggs. I was hooked.

Today, I have three bee hotels in my tiny garden and every April they come alive with the buzz of solitary bees – mostly mason bees – emerging from their little wooden sanctuaries to prepare for the next generation. I have learnt how they need warmth and sunshine before they emerge.

If I had the space I’d love to learn how to keep honeybees – different from their solitary cousins, of course, in that they live in hives and work collectively. Which brings me to this print. I recently learnt that the honeybee has long associations with writing – especially collecting quotations and other information. As a writer with a lifelong love of notebooks and collecting quotes from other writers, the connection was too good to ignore.

Printmaking with lino is a manual craft that requires specialist tools and inks. The nature of the process means that each print is unique and may feature some speckling in the ink. This is part of what makes this artform so beautiful. Please note there may be slight variations from the print in the photo.

This is an unframed linocut print and I will send it to you in a compostable protective sleeve backed with card and a board-backed envelope to keep it sturdy and ready to frame or give as a gift.