Journalist Sara Sneath* of the New Orleans Times-Picayune recently featured ecologists who sketched their study organisms as part of an impromptu, humorous initiative led by Dr. Solomon R. David* (Nicholls State University). Sneath’s front page story details how ecologists responded to the call to sketch their study organism using the MS Paint program and their nondominant hand. My … Continue reading Scientists’ SciArt featured by The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA)

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In spring 2017, I was one of 13 artists commissioned by the Laramie Mural Project to design and paint a component of the expansion of the downtown Laramie “Gill Street” mural. The “Gill Street” mural features fish designed to evoke Wyoming icons. My design depicts a group of five pronghorn along their ~100-mile migration route … Continue reading Laramie Boomerang covers dedication of downtown mural

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I’ve been thinking a lot about the recent Science op-ed that was a personal attack against a well-known and successful science communicator and neuroscientist active on Instagram and other communication and engagement platforms. Among other things, I see this issue as relating to insecurities, negative social conditioning, and lack of support that folx often face when … Continue reading I don’t usually post selfies, but that’s about to change. OR, some things #scientistswhoselfie and #sketchyourscience have…

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I’ve been thinking a lot about the recent Science op-ed that was a personal attack against a well-known and successful science communicator and neuroscientist active on Instagram and other communication and engagement platforms. Among other things, I see this issue as relating to insecurities, negative social conditioning, and lack of support that folx often face when … Continue reading I don’t usually post selfies, but that’s about to change. OR, some things #scientistswhoselfie and #sketchyourscience have…

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Last year, a book I illustrated was published! The book, Then There Were None: The Demise of Desert Bighorn Sheep in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness, by Paul Krausman, details the demise of the desert bighorn sheep populations in the mountains around Tuscon, Arizona. It is both a conservation history and a warning for current conservationists. I was … Continue reading Book review of “Then There Were None”

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A few weeks ago, a friend wrote and asked me: “What natural history illustrators/artist-scientists would you want to use to inspire youth/adults to love nature, art, and science?” Oh, was I excited to answer the question! Here are a handful of the natural history SciArtists I recommended: Cathy Johnson Jenny Keller – contributor to Field Notes on Science … Continue reading Inspiration: Natural history resources and examples to jump-start and inspire you, your students, and your friends

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Sketching any time, any where, gets easier with practice. But planning for sketching helps, too. Having materials ready means I can grab the appropriate (and/or most convenient) set-up and be ready to go at a moment’s notice. And, having sketching materials along means I’m way more likely to sketch! Along with some sort of sketchbook, … Continue reading Sketching Tip: Being ready to sketch (or, handy portable sketching materials)

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Not all sketching plans go according to plan, and then words can play a critical role.  In May 2016, I took a trip to East Africa, working on the first international phase of my ecology storybook project: “The Ecologically True Story of the Tortoise and the Hare.” I did a lot of prep for my trip … Continue reading Sketching Tip: Using words for all they are worth

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One of my favorite things about being an artist is getting to learn about other people’s science. For example, in the past couple of years, I’ve learned: about traditional ecological knowledge relating to caribou genetics (link) several fish species build nests (link; my take) citizen science is helping Wyoming biologists track amphibian populations (link) bees … Continue reading Artful Science: Learning by drawing

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These tips are excerpted from an earlier article I wrote highlighting many ways that sketchnotes are being used by scientists. The following tips, though, are broadly applicable for many kinds of note-taking situations. Keep your supplies simple and portable. A ballpoint pen and one color (marker, colored pencil, even a crayon!) can produce delightful results. … Continue reading Sketching Tip: Sketching your notes at conferences, meetings & in class

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