Risograph print

Sarah Week is an artist, community advocate, and cofounder of Pencil Urchin Press based in her hometown Kailua Kona, Hawaii.

Host' depicts the interwoven relationship between ohia lehua as a native host flower for this species of Yellow-Faced bee (Hylaeus pubescens) and the bee as the host for a Eupelmus wasp. I was fascinated to learn that these parasitoid wasps specialize in specific hosts, a unique specific relationship that connects these species in a cycle of life. These unique and beautiful natural relationships are all around us, but often get overlooked until we take time to look closer. This piece began as a watercolor painting, then was completed as a digital illustration. From there it transformed again into a Risograph print using fluorescent pink, yellow, teal and black rice-bran oil ink.