Eartha Kitt and yellowjackets

Earlier this summer I noticed yellowjackets building a nest beneath my deck. The progress was amazing: in the span of a few short weeks, a big, beautiful and functional colony was built to store the queen and her larvae. The pulp that forms the nest is created from chewed wood fibers mixed with saliva and spit (fits nicely with the idea of ruminating). I couldn’t wait to rescue the nest before winter destroyed it. Last weekend I carefully removed the fragile structure, after checking to make sure all the insects had left! It now sits in a corner of my studio, along with butterfly wings, insect casings and other marvels of nature. The color is a striated earthy grey, red and white. Later that day I read in The New York Times that the chanteuse Eartha Kitt is in possession of several insect nests, which she covets and treasures.

As a graphic designer and artist I am always looking for inspiration in out-of-the-way places. There is much to be gained from viewing our environment as a rich visual source. The artist Andy Goldsworthy takes this to another level in his stunning, temporary natural sculptures. Perhaps the yellowjacket paper, once scanned and manipulated, could become the background of a future show poster. Stay tuned.