Artwork

Sketching offers me a new perspective on the landscape features I look at every day. When I draw a mountain, glacier, or flower, I’m forced to spend a lot of time staring at it, to consider it from multiple angles, and to notice things I’ve never seen before. By drawing, I connect to the landscape at a level I would never achieve by doing my detail-oriented repetitive fieldwork. Sketching in the field is an experience unlike drawing or painting at home. In Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, I constantly swat mosquitoes while I work, retreating to my mountain tent to finish a sketch without the annoying insects. In the McMurdo Dry Valleys, mornings and evenings are the best sketching times, since the winds are usually quiet and the light is beautiful. I put on my Big Red down jacket, wool hat, and liner gloves, and sketch outside until I lose feeling in my fingers.

PolarPrints Etsy Shop

I sold notecards of my field sketches at PolarPrints, my Etsy shop, which is currently on pause while I focus on family and teaching. Notecards make great presents for people who love the polar regions, wildflowers, and field science!