Science and art: Two sides of the same coin.
I remain in awe of the museums in London. I specifically chose Edinburgh to study Science Communication because of the great culture of SciComm in this city, and I am delighted overall to be living here. But I can’t help but visit London every now and again because there is something special there in terms … Continue reading Revisiting the Natural History Museum
One of the finest illustrators of the 19th century and an exhaustive researcher, John James Audubon made his mark across disciplines with his work on birds. He identified 25 new species of bird in his lifetime, and his major work, a color-plate book entitled The Birds of America, is considered one of the finest ornithological works … Continue reading SciArtist Profile: John James Audubon
Another entry in my science of painting series. Today’s post is about what I consider to be unequivocally the most diverse material for creating traditional paintings: Acrylic paint. One would think that the answer would be oil paint, but with the vast range of mediums and additives available for acrylic paint, my own opinion has … Continue reading Science of Painting: Acrylic Paint and the Environment
A while back I wrote about scientific illustrators and how they are required to have an insane amount of raw technical skill. I also wrote about how because of this, I would never BE a scientific illustrator. Well as it turns out, this applies to a multitude of virtuosic art forms. Another thing I will … Continue reading The Superbrains of Concert Pianists
Jewellery, ornamentation, decoration. From wedding rings to circuit boards, humans have found many aesthetic and technological uses for a certain element on the periodic table. Gold is indicated by the periodic symbol Au (leftover from the Latin word aurum, or shining dawn, an obvious reference to its color) and is a remarkable chemical, if only … Continue reading What’s the Deal with Gold?
If I am to profile scientists and artists as part of this blog, I would be deeply remiss to leave out Leonardo Da Vinci. So allas, here he is. Funny looking guy, come to think of it. When one does a Google search (as one does these days) for Leonardo Da Vinci, the summary of … Continue reading SciArtist Profile: Leonardo Da Vinci
I hope to write a series of posts on the science of painting, because it really is quite involved. Interestingl Some of the best painters I know claim to hate science, and yet the ways that pigments and binders interact with substrates is pure chemistry. There were some fancy words there. Some definitions: Pigment is … Continue reading Science of Painting: Why Oil Paint?
I'll confess, I had originally written the following true story for a very different purpose, but it seems to fit perfectly into the ethos of my blog, so away we go! I am not great at memorizing taxonomic names. Frankly, I’m unsure who is. But as a biology student, it was a cross I had … Continue reading Story Time! – The Plant Book: Drawing to Learn Taxonomy
I’ve been thinking a lot about illustration lately because part of my resolution for (just before) the New Year is to devote more time to artwork, particularly physical artwork on paper. I’ve already written about how I will never have the required technical skills to be a scientific illustrator, but this has made me think … Continue reading Medical Drawing and Aims of Drawing in General
It’s Christmas! My manic insistence to write every single week outweighs my urge to take time off to be “festive” (the latest politically correct term from the UK), so Merry Christmas (or whatever other festive celebration you participate in). Christmastime always makes me think of light. And light, like much of everything, gets me thinking … Continue reading Technology and Art: Light
The Artful Scientist 