People ask me all the time what I studied in college. Biology. Animal Science, to be specific. I milked cows, worked in a lab, and was in the pre-vet club. I drew anatomical diagrams in my notebooks and could work out chemical equations in a very organized and legible manner, but didn’t “have time” for real art. Little did I know I was honing my illustration skills all along.
When I was invited recently to contribute an article for the UVM Biology Department’s newsletter, I spent some time thinking more deeply about what I do now, what I did back then, and how illustration and biology are connected. At some point it hit me. It’s not the information I memorized and observed – like the names of species or how a bird is built – that help me illustrate scientific subjects today. Rather, it’s the fact that I spent four years learning how science works: how to design an experiment, ask the right questions, make careful observations, draw connections, and present the results. I never would have thought those skills would be useful to an artist. But they are essential to my art.
To read my article, CLICK HERE to view the Biology Department’s newsletter. Scroll down to the Alumni section, and it’s on page 11.
Meg Sodano - Illustration & Design 