Last weekend, I mostly finished sewing the first layer of yellow rondelle beads. In the original microscopy image, the cell nuclei were colored bright blue, due to being labeled with Hoechst stain, which labels DNA. In Darcy’s version of the image, she switched this color to pale yellow, which makes them look more delicate and... Continue Reading →
The creative process
After settling on creating “Mapping Manhattan”, this week I finally got a chance to go out and buy some supplies, including a canvas and beads. I painted the canvas with black paint (though it ended up looking a bit like wood in the photo) to create the background that is typical for fluorescence microscopy images.... Continue Reading →
Scientist’s lab notebook vs. artist’s sketchbook
Recently, Darcy and I have been discussing the parallel aspects that are present in the daily lives of artists and scientists. One topic that has repeatedly come up is the comparison scientists’ lab notebooks and artists’ sketchbooks. In both professions, these records serve as a place to document methods, results and progress over time. They... Continue Reading →
Why do we need art?
Over the last few weeks, SciArt Residency partner Darcy and I spoke a lot about the reasons for needing art in our life. This question probably has different answers from the perspective of the artist and the viewer, but I in this post I will try to scratch the surface of the artist’s side. ... Continue Reading →
Announcing the beginning of my SciArt residency program!
I am excited to announce that I have been accepted to a virtual SciArt residency program, which will begin in September! I am very grateful to the SciArt Center for giving me this opportunity to work with Darcy Johnson - an artist in Canada who explores scientific themes in her art. I invite you to... Continue Reading →
Learning some new beading techniques
While in between projects, I decided to learn some new beading techniques. I recently came across some amazing beadwork on Instagram by Julie Mars (@jamfinearts) and got inspired. I have a ton of multicolored beads that I don’t use for my main projects, so I decided to use them for learning how to bead around a... Continue Reading →
“The Mind” – an artistic experiment – Part II
This work and its counterpart started out as a little sketch in my bullet journal. I had the idea of creating two "identical" pictures. One showing empty space in the shape of a neuron and the other being its mirror image that is filled with an actual cell. Here's the birth certificate of this idea.... Continue Reading →
“The Void” – an artistic experiment – Part I
Following my "Stages of Grief" series, I have set out to create a piece to represent the very first stage - DENIAL. While in my earlier pieces I did my best to stay true to scientific form, here I have come to border abstraction. This piece turns the biology on its head, showing the outline of a... Continue Reading →
Trying a new approach in my art
Last year, I wrote about my negative view of a large percentage of abstract art (with some exceptions). My view of SciArt has always been that true scientific images/concepts should be accurately depicted (with some room for slight embellishment). While many people show the true natural beauty of scientific images, I also see a lot... Continue Reading →
Intricacies of scientific models
I have always been a sucker for fancy and intricate scientific devices. I don't want to say instruments, because that would imply electronic equipment. Although even there, if it has to do with imaging cells, I'm in! But I am referring more to items that you can actually touch and interact with, especially on a... Continue Reading →
SciArt that’ll make you feel Smart 