hike the huyck!

back in fall of 2010, i had an exciting opportunity to become an artist in residence at the huyck preserve. the preserve is located in the charming small town of rensselaerville outside albany, new york.

the preserve's residency program, called COMmunity.ENvironment.ART Natural History Artist-in-Residency, has clear goals for their artists.  they request that the artist-in-residence create a piece of work that gives back to the community, educates the public about science and environment, and expects an artist to immerse themselves into their science and natural history. 

during my stay i was able to dive into their research, gather inspiration from the forest, and had the luxury of spending my time creating illustrations based on science.  my work focused on researching and illustrating the ecology between the northern red oak and local weevils.  The piece I created will be used by the preserve in educational materials with the hopes that it inspires the public to take a closer look at their local environment.

being a young science illustrator, opportunities like this residency, are a great way to meet scientist, get exposure to the public, and gather unique experience that can be used to inspire creative illustrations.  i am excited when I discover opportunities similar to the one at the huyck.  it is experiences like this which will help me become an even more successful science illustrator.