The Art of Karen Carr

Posted by Alex H. |1 comments

I'd like to direct your browsers to the online home page for international wildlife and natural history artist Karen Carr and Karen Carr Studio, Inc.

Here artwork is incredible and demonstrates a world-class level of care for her topics. I even read (but lost the source) that when she worked with traditional media and was attempting to portray a scene or organism underwater, she would snorkel and make sketches underwater (presumably with waterproof materials!). I had come across her art several times in my internetting, but never realized that it was all mostly from one woman!

Here website and online gallery are easy to navigate and contain a treasure trove of wonderful biodiversity - alive or extinct. She also posts directions on how she paints digitally, which is neat.

Her best known work and association is with The Field Museum in Chicago, IL, an incredible museum of natural history.

The following images are samples of her work (all copyright Karen Karr and are available on her website):

PS - if you find yourself interested in illustrating natural science (I know I am!), check out the website for the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI).

Free Download - "Handbook of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Fauna"

Posted by Alex H. |4 comments

It's been a busy school week, but I've got a lot to share with you guys. I'll try to keep posts succinct to maintain your viewership.

Up today is free stuff. We all like that, right? Cued in from the awesome folks over at Deep-Sea News I came across a free-to-download book, "Handbook of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Fauna." (fear not, although the website uses a hint of German, the book is entirely in English).

Why the heck should you care? Why shouldn't you? Perhaps this is the clenching proof in your life that you don't know everything and in fact, there are entire topics you know nothing about! I downloaded it just for a skim-read and to look at the beautiful pictures and illustrations, but I'd love to hear what other people would have to say about it.

Here are a couple of images blatantly copied from the book. You should download it if you want to see more incredible biodiversity:

Review - "The Diversity of Life"

Posted by Alex H. |0 comments

Prepare for the onslaught - I've promised myself to update this blog at least once a day for the next week. I have lots of ideas to share. Let's start:

"The Diversity of Life" is a most wonderful book I recently read by E.O. Wilson.

Where to begin?

For those not in the know, E.O. Wilson is a senior professor of Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and is the world expert on myrmecology (the scientific study of ants). Recipient of two Pulitzer prizes for general non-fiction, the man is also a brilliant science writer.

Certainly, DoL is not Wilson's most famous, nor most read book (he's written 25 to date), but ever since its first publishing date in 1992 those in the know have found its pressing and fascinating tone necessary for the topic. Though the title seems to speak for itself, I should note that the topic of the book is biodiversity. In it, Wilson sucks the reader into a comprehensive array of historic, anecdotal, scientific, and economic view points on studies of biodiversity.

In a previous work of his, Biophilia, Wilson puts forth the concept that there is an inseparable and instinctive connection between humans and other living things (see biophilia hypothesis). Though not as strongly, DoL restates the innate love for living systems humans share. Wilson also emphasizes the strategic, practical, and economic importance biodiversity gives to humanity.The following segment was the most poignant point I believe Wilson wishes everyone knew:

Every country has three forms of wealth: material, cultural, and biological. The first two we understand well because they are the substance of our everyday lives. the essence of the biodiversity problem is that biological wealth is taken much less seriously. This is a major strategic error, one that will be increasingly regretted as time passes (Wilson, p 331).

In all, this engrossing book leaves you feeling accomplished for having a more complete grasp of the topic of biological diversity, regardless of what kept you reading. Case studies and anecdotal accounts are side by side with easy-to-understand figures and beautiful illustrations by Sandra Landry & Amy B. Wright.

Overall: 5/5 - A superb synthesis of scientific knowledge on the topic with a conservation slant.