Bio

From an early age, I have held an unbreakable affinity for the natural world. As a child, I found myself instilled with a deep need to not only see nature, but to tangibly experience it. I was one of those children that flipped over rocks, clambered up hillsides, and waded into creeks for the purposes of exploration and discovery. As peers grew out of their "bug phase", my fascination with insects and other small organisms flourished. In college, I earned dual BS degrees in Biology and Chemistry before going on to earn a PhD in Entomology. I recently completed a BFA in Drawing with a minor in Photography. Having earned these credentials, it is now my professional responsibility and immeasurable pleasure to share my obsession for the natural world with others. 

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I have never accepted the notion that one can be a scientist or an artist, but not both. After all, one skill - critical observation - is fundamental to both fields. As a scientist, I use my ability to capture what I see for the purposes of documentation and emphasis of specific characteristics or behaviors. As an artist, I rely on my scientific background to give form and purpose to my creative process. The influence of my scientific education is evident in my photographs, insect pieces, and especially my illustrations. I seek to represent all subjects as they are, using distortions only when they seem natural and expected.