Capstone

Artist’s Statement

Illustration, more specifically scientific and children’s book illustration has always appealed to me stylistically and narratively. Scientific illustration appeals to me because it is meant to be strictly representational, and yet reveals the style of the individual artist who makes it. Children’s book illustration speaks to me with its simplicity and ability to convey a narrative with minimal information. Hoping to find a connection between these two art forms has led me to create my project, Still Life.

Painting in front of real specimens has encouraged me to find my voice as an artist, as I had to constantly navigate between accurate representation and my personal style. I hope to continue this work one day as an artist at a natural history museum, where I can create scientific illustrations and help construct dioramas for specimens. My capstone project is inspired by this line of work and was created in collaboration with the Burt Ostenson Museum in PLU’s Biology Department.