Jehanne in her studio

I combine the enticing texture, scent and color of beeswax with my own personal cultural associations. Bees fascinate me, and I am endlessly inspired by beeswax. I am originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, and now live with my family in Sebastopol CA.

I have always enjoyed making things with my hands.  I have been creating sculptural objects since I was very young, and I have clear memories of watching my French-Canadian aunts and grandmother making beautiful quilts and embroidered items. I would learn by watching, and then I would go off and mix what I had just learned with my own imaginative ideas.   For many women, like some of my ancestors, the warm quilts they produced meant survival for their families. Bees, like quilt-makers, are skilled at creating patterns, are extremely resourceful, and the majority of the bees are female.

I enjoy making three-dimensional objects.  And while I do not make quilts out of fabric, or bread out of yeast and flour, I love creating these objects out of beeswax. I prefer to use my wax unstrained so it has dirt, propolis, and bees in it.  I share in the making of the objects with the bees.  My work is a homage to women’s work and bees.

Beeswax is a complex medium. It is a highly changeable material.
It is used as a preservative, yet has its vulnerable side.
It can remain stable or centuries, or melt in moments.
It can shatter like glass, or moisturize your lips.

Beeswax provides a creative tension that is integral to my work.

Jehanne Hale
2010 Sebastopol CA