Bailey 🐝

First market as a vendor: ✅ Hi! I'm Bailey (or Bee), and I'm a librarian and visual artist. I've been creating my whole life and am excited to bring my art to my community. Huge thanks to @timkimeart , @petite_punk , @amendadaptdc , & @dcgoodwill for their efforts in putting on the first Reimagine Market, and for the vote of confidence in letting me try my hand at vending! It was lovely to see so many faces familiar and new, and to spark conversations about art and upcycling. Curiosity is a driving part of my artistic process, and thrifting and upcycling are two ways I like to reimagine my work. I love the idea that my art is alive and always growing (this definitely includes the rooted plant cuttings from my plant library), whether from community input or the inclusion of new techniques and items that find a home on the page. It feels good to repurpose ordinary things into art and to share them with the world. Onto the next 🐝✨ #dcartist #queerartist #lgbtqartist #washingtondc #visualartist #mixedmedia #polymerclay #upcycling #vintage #prints #watercolor #blockprinting

The Library Bee has a logo! 🐝📖 This fall has been a difficult one, to say the least, but I am grateful for my community and loved ones who come together to teach, share, and inspire. As a librarian by trade and an artist at heart, I like to find new ways to blend information with art that is accessible for all. I don't believe that creativity exists in a vacuum. So much gratitude and appreciation is owed to the many individuals I've met who have shared their craft with me or inspired my own practice over the past three decades. I hope that anyone who interacts with me and my work is encouraged to interpret freely and use those threads to create their own masterpieces. This past year has brought incredible growth and I can't wait to see what the next cycle of seasons brings. 🍁 #dcartist #queerartist #lgbtqartist #washingtondc #visualartist #mixedmedia #polymerclay #upcycling #vintage #prints #watercolor #blockprinting

I wanted to chat a little bit about my blind date with a book selection ✨ Each book is hand selected by me, and meets the following: ⭐️ at least a 3 star rating (subjective, I know!) ⭐️ matches, shares, or promotes progressive and inclusive values ⭐️ is thrifted (either from my library or elsewhere) and in good condition ⭐️ I've read it and can vouch for it! Since starting to vend at markets, I cherish the opportunity to channel my inner librarian and help share reading material that helps folks feel seen, informed, and connected. My earliest memories were in libraries. My work study job in undergrad, in the special collections library, quickly became my safe space when I was struggling with so much. Libraries were always the places I came back to, and quickly became the places through which I gave back. I completed my Master's in Library Science in 2022 at UMD-College Park, with a focus in legal information. Pretty soon afterwards, I made a more concentrated effort to engage with my artistic side, finally opening up to others as an artist, sharing my work, and taking classes from talented local artists in new mediums. Want to chat more? I'm @the_librarybee on @the.storygraph ! Drop your username in the comments or message me 📚 #books #thrifting #blinddatewithabook #thriftedbooks #thriftbooks

Excited to enjoy the last weeks of spring weather outdoors with my fellow creatives and community! Come by, make friends, and support local businesses 💜 🌼 Tuesday, 5/19 @thedewdropinndc : Dyke Party, 7 PM til late 🌼 Sunday, 5/24 @tradebardc : Dyke Fest with @dcdykemarch , 2 til 6 PM 🌼 Sunday, 6/7 @petworthmainstreet : Petworth Flea, 10 AM til 4 PM Come by even just to say hello! I love meeting artists and art appreciators! 🐝 #dcartmarkets #localart #lgbtqart #dcartist

throw fits, throw flowers

A HUGE thank you to @sashsscribbles , @studio__dd , @the_librarybee , and @watercolormenaked for donating their gorgeous art for our Fundraiser Party this Thursday, April 30th, 7-9pm at as you are. DC! All of these pieces will be available via silent auction. Winners will be announced at 9PM! Use our linktree in bio to RSVP. BAWG is fundraising for ReproRave - our upcoming care kit packing event on Friday, May 15th at Transmission DC. We will be packing reproductive and sexual health care kits to give out with @ec.4.dc for FREE! We're raising $2,000 to cover the costs of this event which include condoms, emergency contraception (Plan B), pregnancy tests, and more. RSVP using our linktree in our bio.

good morning ☀️ bead art in the company of @tateetot & @jayla.brown ! we loved @moleladyarts_ ’s work (and have her pieces on display in our homes) and were inspired to try to upcycle cute plates of our own. one is a daily reminder, the other is bc @iamhalsey writes absolute bangers 🫶🏻 #beadart #upcycling #decorativeplates #artist #repurposing

A full week of creating! Sunday, 4/19: A cozy art afternoon with @beccadamante , where I finished my most ambitious collage yet! I was focused mostly on color pairings and tiny details here, as well as the combinations of different shapes. I've never tried a circular collage before and really enjoyed it. 🌌🩵 Monday, 4/20: Went a little manic with the block prints, but I love a neon green/bright pink combo! It's always so much fun to pull out old blocks and see how they look in new settings. 💚🩷 Tuesday, 4/21: Visited @livingroom.dc for the first time since their opening, and what a delightfully cozy space this is! @alphabetsoupevents 's sapphic figure drawing event was a delight. This was my 3rd figure drawing session, and as someone who was never formally trained in art, it's definitely a stretch to my brain (and wrist), but I love taking chances on my style and seeing how these learned skills manifest when I am sketching elsewhere. ✍🏻☀️ Wednesday, 4/22: Earth Day! After a bike ride during lunch to restock some supplies at @merrypindc , I arranged flowers at an event in my apartment community. I love a chance to play with color palettes with natural elements, and can't wait to press them after they've had their bloom. 💐🌎 Thursday, 4/23: Another beautiful day for a bike ride - this time to and from the office. I love bringing a @capitalstitchco mini embroidery kit with me for whenever I need to read on screens for longer periods of time. It keeps me from fidgeting and my whipped back stitch is definitely improving! 🪡✂️ Friday, 4/24: Played around with polymer clay (Pikachu colors in honor of me beating the Kanto Elite 4 on Blue 🫡) and cured a few future collar chain pins with resin! And finally, a callback to last week's (4/18) workshop with @electramakes - the scisso(ring) and gun rings are only a couple of the upcycled accessories we made that weekend! #polymerclay #collage #blockprinting #figuredrawing #crafting

Excited to invite you all to the Sapphics in Bloom art market! 🍒🌸 On Wednesday, March 25th, between 8-10 PM, come by @showtimebar to shop handmade creations from a group of wonderful artists as we welcome the spring season! Wear your florals, grab a drink (cash only at the bar), and build community with @dcdykenight 🌈 We'll also be raffling away one-of-a-kind works donated by the artists featured! Here's who will be vending: 🌸 @banna_art 🌸 @campwonderlandshop 🌸 @graysgems28 🌸 @sew_obssessed 🌸 @the_librarybee Hope to see you there! #sapphicartists #dcartists #dcsapphics #dcsapphicevents #dcarts

cherry 🍒 / blossom 🌸 Coming up on 9 years in DC, and the start of spring still brings me so much joy. I've also been loving the vibrancy of pink and red together as neighbors on the color wheel. Part of why I love block printing is experimenting with the same design in multiple color schemes, but also the repetition of patterns. Which style do you like best? Let me know! 1st slide: block prints + white posca paint marker + gold leaf 2nd slide: digital art via procreate #cherryblossoms #blockprinting #digitalart #dcartist #cherryblossomart

🍓✨🍓 been interested in similarly toned colors, repeating patterns, and the use of negative space as accents. special thanks to all of the cute vintage strawberry tchotchkes in my home for the inspo! #blockprinting #linocut #dcartist #strawberryart #strawberryprint

Thank you to my best friend @natetbuxton for taking me to the best possible place for a library bee on Valentine’s Day📚🐝 #vday #bookstoredate #valentinesday #dcbookstore