Bee-Tshirts

"In all honesty, I never expected to create t-shirts, let alone become so passionate about it, but I have! In that comes the magic and sustenance of the creative process. The artwork I use for the silk screening came from a very deep artistic movement in my life. In my late teens I was absolutely besotted with black and white classical illustration. I was especially enamored with apothecary type drawings about alchemy and botany, in love with Russain folklore artwork and mythology illustration. By my early 20's I had developed a self-taught, highly detailed black and white cross-hatched style, hoping to create an income with it. But those days did not answer to to a calling for it. It has been in these last years that I revisited the style, using it in the storytelling artwork giving voice to the bees, very much inspired and influenced by the renewal of sacred geometry. With the first drawings, I was completely blown away by how I could digitally zap them into wild and colorful new perspectives. Soon to follow was the idea that they would be perfect for the silk screening process, where I could move the artwork into one of the most universal ways of sharing art, wearing it on a t-shirt! With the highly detailed artwork, I am loving the one-color, high contrast ink colors. "

STREET MARKET BIZ /

Making her art very accessible, Cheri has been selling / sharing her the cards, stickers and t-shirts in a community based way, at the Ballard Sunday Market in Seattle Washington. The market booth has financed the progression of her projects, while inspiring Cheri to expand her vision and pursue new ways of utilizing and sharing the imagery. Snapshot photos at the street market seemed like a great way to share the energy and essence of the brand up-starting in a very popular Seattle destination.

wall of silkscreens / "Orphic Egg Bee" silkscreened on tshirt / large format tapestry

SIMPLE 2 COLOR DESIGNS /

The entire line of t-shirts and hoodies are printed with a high contrast ink color that is complimentary with the fabric color. Never using black ink, deep burgundy and navy colors seem to produce a rather earthy look with the bright colored fabrics. With the art-work being so highly detailed, the simplicity of the two color garments makes them easy to wear and visually stunning.

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The t-shirts are printed with water soluble inks. Most t-shirts are printed with a plastisol ink which is not eco-friendly. Water based ink is made by suspending a 100% biodegradable pigment into a water base. Along with the ink, the clean up process is also environmentally friendly as also not involving non-toxic chemicals.

2021 MOTH, MUSHROOMS, KOI /

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The last covid years brought in a brand new 2020 era, inspiring new artwork that seemed to illustrate transformational healing. The "Orphic Egg Bee" became the last illustration of the "Bee Odyssey" series, completing the project with a fantastic understanding of the bee and her absolute necessity and value on this planet, her most outstanding example of effective collaboration and successful living. The "Orphic Egg" illustrating the great shift on the planet, the healing and rising of the feminine energy.

In 2021 "Koi Dragon" was created, inspired by the mythology that tells the story of 'rising above it all' , overcoming adversity, perseverance, power and strength, path of the stars. Next came the "Mushroom Fractal 2222" illustration, the surge in awareness about the amazing healing properties of mushrooms.

The final illustration of 2021 was the moth, naming the image "Transmutation". With covid creating a time of reflection and internal change, radical external transformation has been the result. The crawling caterpillar, cacoon metamorphosis, all transmuting into a beautifully designed flying creature!

ORDERING A CUSTOM ART T-SHIRT /

www.etsy.com/people/cheriaellis

T-shirts can be ordered/purchased on the ETSY site. Click the link above and then click onto the red bee icon under Cheri A Ellis. There are many t-shirt variations, so by messaging you can contact and discuss the perfect art t-shirt for you. Browse through the imagery on this page, click onto the small pics at the left, they will open up into larger images. Many customers have gone to the Ballard Sunday market in Seattle, and are able to begin the process of choosing a t-shirt there. Check out the 'ILLUSTRATION 2022' link (upper left) for the artwork you would like for you t-shirt, decide on color, consider size and fit, and then message Cheri on the 'CUSTOM T-SHIRT' link at the top of the Etsy page. Cheri prints the t-shirts, so allow 2 to 3 weeks to receive your order.

ETSY

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