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Reproducible methods (and results) are a key part of rigorous science. And reproducing art has been part of doing art for centuries.
So this month's tip is a easy and cheap way to make reproductions of your own SciArt.
Make your own SciArt stickers!
You might recognize this as "packing tape transfers." I learned this method in an undergrad photography class, and still have the pieces I made using the technique.
Click here to view instructions on my blog.-->
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There's a lot of research into creativity and critical thinking.
What's particularly relevant are studies looking at how arts integration can influence, and often enhance, both creativity and critical thinking beyond the arts.
I'm highlighting four articles that speak to this point, but there are many others. Get in touch for more!
1. We can learn to think creatively.
Perhaps most importantly, we can train ourselves, and our students, to think creatively. Consider, for example a set of "4 strategies to develop skills in creative thinking and discuss underlying research and examples supporting each strategy." These strategies were investigated and reported by conservation researchers, who assert, "creativity is a learned trait, rather than an innate skill. It can be actively developed at both the individual and institutional levels..."
(Aslan et al, Conservation Biology, 2013; view article)
Click here to view the rest of the list on my blog. -->
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We need not apologize for doing "non-essential" things.
"...the most significant human achievements between Aristotle’s time and our own — our greatest art, the most enduring ideas of philosophy, the spark for every technological breakthrough — originated in leisure..."
 So says Maria Popova, author of the splendid Brain Pickings website/journal I've recommended before. In her essay "Leisure, the Basis of Culture," she provides a review/analysis/endorsement of the book of the same name, written in 1948 by German philosopher Josef Pieper.
Fascinatingly, a crux of the book is the etymology of 'leisure,'
which originally meant - in Greek and Latin - something akin to "free time for learning."
What I take from all this is that reading, writing, sketching, thumbing through cookbooks, puttering in the garden, or just sitting somewhere watching birds and clouds go by are an essential foundation to the creative thought I aim to contribute to the world. And, it's a worthwhile lesson to provide for our students. Just think!
Something to ponder:
How might providing down time, free time to let the mind and body wander, enhance student learning, and how can we facilitate that for them?
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I'm participating in a sketching initiative called #inktober.
The big idea is to make a sketch or drawing every day during the month of October. The catch - while under sketches can be in pencil, the main image should be done in ink.
This sketch, of the negative space around a cottonwood leaf, was made using Quink, a funky type of ink. I explained Quink in more detail in the Sketchbook Snapshot section of last month's newsletter.
This sketch was made by "painting" snowflakes freehand, using an art masking fluid. Once the fluid dried, I painted over the whole page with Quink. Once the ink dried, I could rub away the masking fluid, which dries to a texture sort of like rubber cement on something you can rub it off of.
*Right-click images to view larger, to see color variations in the Quink.
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Sketching materials
If it's not wholly obvious, a goal of this edition of the newsletter is to get you to consider sketching or doing some kind of art practice... and/or to facilitate such practice for your students.
And, using quality materials makes sketching a little bit easier.
That's because these materials are designed to produce visually appealing drawings.
The art-quality kits I stock include the materials I find most useful for field sketching, or for packing around on a daily basis.
If you have questions, get in touch! I'm happy to chat about what materials best suit your needs.
We can discuss personal or professional use, bulk orders for classroom use, as well as reference books you might also appreciate.
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Upcoming Events
Drawn to Wildlife:
A Sketching for Scientists workshop
November 17, 2016
Cody, Wyoming
This hands-on workshop for wildlife biologists will take place during The Wildlife Society's Wyoming chapter annual meeting.
Participants will be be introduced to a suite of foundational sketching techniques, and will include discussion of materials and strategies useful for field sketching and incorporating drawing into research practices. Click here for complete details.
Looking for training?
If you'd like to schedule a public workshop, artist residency, or professional development training, let me know!
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News
SciArt for Children!
For almost a year now, I've been contributing natural history and science illustration+text to a gorgeous children's magazine called root & star.
My pieces have provided artful science-based exposure to fur, fish nests, chicken language, and coming soon, things that live in/under snow!
In the next year, I'll focus on natural history collections, raccoon "hands," horses, magpies, and the wind.
I'm telling you about root & star because:
I think it's a phenomenal way to engage children in artful thinking and exploration. I love the magazine and love being part of it. There's no monetary benefit to me if you subscribe, or pick up a copy at one of the retailers now stocking it. But, that's fine -- I only hope you'll find it wonderful, too!
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