Germany to N. Norway
EXPEDITION
In October of 2023 I was an artist in residence with Hurtigruten up the coast of Norway on the MS Otto Sverdrup. Over the course of that expedition I completed an illustrated map of our journey which was auctioned off at the end by Hurtigruten to support the Children´s Foundation.
I worked on this map in the public spaces of the ship, which allowed me to interact with the guests and share stories of their experiences and ideas of what to include. Many guests would stop by just to watch me draw, and ended up socializing with each other and bonding over the hidden details in my work.
I had a wonderful and inspiring time on the ship; creating art as well as interacting with the guests and crew, many of whom are now firm friends, and I believe that having an artist on board was enriching and enlivening for the guests.
As a naturalist and evolutionary biology, entomology, herpetology, wildlife buff, I have always thought that art and science should go hand in hand. Science produces the facts and findings that shape our understanding of the world, and art conveys that information in all its emotional aspects. Most documentation of scientific expeditions is pretty dry, and fairly inaccessible to the average person. The only thing that really gets through is documentaries- a form of art. As a scientifically minded person with an insatiable curiosity and drive, and well as the skills and experience needed to reach the average insta-scroller, I think I could make a very good bridge between the average person and the scientific community.
My work explores the symbiosis between ecosystems and their inhabitants, as well as the need to protect and conserve them. These past few years I have done extensive artist residencies in various unique environments, from the high arctic to the cloud forests of Ecuador. In each location I have studied and observed the ecology and wildlife and produced artwork that illustrates my findings and evokes the emotions I feel are imperative to fueling the need to face the climate crisis. As well as producing and exhibiting art, I also make short videos and write-ups for my instagram audience of 133k that educate and inspire concerning our natural world.
It is so, so important to stay curious. We are all born with an innate and insatiable curiosity about the world around us. As we grow older, we are distracted by adult things and problems, and most of us forget to be curious. We stop looking for fairies in the garden or troll houses in the rocks. We forget how to really look.
It’s difficult to respect and admire something you have no connection with. It’s harder still to connect with something we have forgotten how to properly look at and be curious about.
My hope is that my art encourages that curiosity, that re-learning. Wild animals and native plants hide throughout my drawings, waiting for discovery. They may not be the fairies and wood nymphs of childhood fantasy, but they’re something better. They’re here, now, and are fantastical and mystical and beautiful in their own right. There are wonders all around us in the natural world, if you only remember your curiosity and look for them.
I choose adventure because of the opportunities it brings. Opportunities to have amazing experiences with friends old and new, to catch my breath at a beautiful sunrise, to learn about myself and the world around me, and to be fully present to every sight and sensation.
Adventure nurtures the soul and broadens the mind, and connects me with the natural world that I am very much a part of. I choose adventure because I choose to live fully and fiercely, to experience the earth as it is and expect nothing in return but what I allow myself to be given.
