This sculpture consists of toothpicks stuck in a canvas. The toothpicks are dipped in beeswax, giving them a golden color. The artwork is a commentary on the plight of bees and the canvas represents the bee hive during colony collapse disorder, in which the bees simply disappear from the hive, leaving the queen behind in an empty space. This sculpture was created as a form of activism and in support of bee colonies worldwide. The toothpicks represent the empty, dead bodies of the bees. As such, this sculpture is a potent symbol of the plight of the bee colonies. The artist hopes the work can help viewers envision the devastation that has occurred in bee colonies and encourage activism. They want to awaken viewers to the fact that bees are dying, and if bees are dying, the food supply is at risk. The bees in the colony play a vital role in pollination, fertilization, and growth of plants. They encourage viewers to imagine what would happen without bees. "As soon as we see it, we understand what it is about, but Carneday arranges it in a way that looks like a painting from a distance. It truly resembles an abstract painting. Yet, as we approach it, it becomes apparent that the paint is made of toothpicks and it is a kind of sculpture. Although it is a commentary of ecological issues we face in the 21st century, it is also a very well executed style piece. In terms of formal approach, the artist manipulates toothpicks into simple geometric shapes and allows the material to dictate the result. Yet, we can see that the artist gave careful attention to aligning them in a very precise manner. The work is done with so much commitment and attention to the detail that the result is excellent. Using toothpicks is an interesting choice of medium. It is very flexible and has a light, airy appearance, which contrasts beautifully with the subject. The fact that the subject is not directly addressed but rather hidden underneath a layer of formal painterly interest could be an attempt to avoid the provocative nature of the subject; or perhaps, it is a technique to allow the finesse of execu­tion to resonate. This is a very important point. I am not sure if the artist takes the message of the work too seriously or not, but there is nothing in it that does not work. Therefore, it leaves us with the responsibility of interpretation. On the one hand, the artist does not seem to have taken a political or environmental stand on the topic, but on the other hand, the real question is how could we not be concerned about the disappearance of bees?" - Ayleh Ormena