Hellooooo & welcome back to Sunday Studio Days!
This is our weekly deep dive into the creative spaces of our fantastic artists.
This week we are featuring fisheries biologist and scientific illustrator Liz Bateman!
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| A snap of Liz at work! She is currently in the Labrador Sea, collecting samples of Northern Shrimp on a factory trawler. "Here's a pic of me with a Daggertooth (seeing lots of scary deep sea stuff!)" |
We asked Liz...
When/how did you get into art?
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| A shot of Liz's sketch book and desk |
"I’ve been doodling ever since I could hold a pencil, but I started getting into scientific illustration several years ago during my biology degree. As a visual learner, I found it hard to understand complicated concepts and anatomical structures unless I drew them."
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| "Photo of a work-in-progress Pollock next to my sketch, research materials, and palette." |
"Soon, I realized that drawing detailed, morphologically accurate biological illustrations was a deeply satisfying process. I always used to struggle with what it means to be creative and never felt comfortable calling myself an artist, but once I discovered this style of art, everything clicked and I finally felt like I was doing what I was meant to do!"
What is scientific illustation?
"Scientific illustration is art in the service of science communication. When it comes to fish, this type of art is used in many ways, such as in figures for research papers about morphology, technical documents on how to collect samples, and signage for anglers indicating fishing regulations."
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| "View of some of my drawings hanging from fishing line in my studio" |
"The most important aspect of scientific illustration is accuracy, so knowledge of anatomy and techniques to draw proportionally are critical. However, there's so much room for artistic interpretation in how colour and light are represented because fish are often iridescent and reflective. It's an exciting challenge and no two fish illustrators approach it in the same way!"
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| "Example of the exciting colours I get to use" |
Where do you get your inspiration?
"Working on the water as a biologist and seeing all kinds of critters every day provides an endless stream of inspiration for scientific illustration! We are surrounded by so much natural beauty here in Nova Scotia, I don’t need to go far to feel inspired."
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| A shot of the factory trawler collecting samples of Northern Shrimp on a factory trawler |
How do you decide what to paint?
"Lately a lot of my paintings have been a part of larger projects, such as fish identification signs for anglers. I keep lots of checklists around to help me keep track of what species need to be painted next!"
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| "Pile of prints waiting to be packed" |
"When it comes to fish paintings, the first step is actually catching the fish! It’s so important to see fish up close and to notice how they hold their fins out and the way their scales catch the light. When I can, I photograph the fish I want to paint in a tank of water to get the best reference photos possible."
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| "Me gathering painting reference photos of a Creek Chub" |
"Then, back in the studio, I start mapping out the fish in a sketchbook by measuring the distances between key features and counting structures like scales and fin rays. These characteristics are called morphometrics and meristics and are what biologists use to identify species. Once I’m happy with my outline, I trace the sketch and transfer it onto watercolour paper. Then I start building layers in acrylic paint, always starting with the eye. It usually takes about a week of studio nights to finish the painting."
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| "Photo of how my painting sessions usually look (late at night)" |
What activities outside of your art practice do you like to enjoy?
"Outside of the studio, you can find me fishing, snorkelling, backpacking, and gardening!"
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| Find Liz's illustrations in the Anglers' Handbook! Shot of our Liz Bateman window display for Father's day |
We love reading about Liz's creative journey and all the super cool things she gets up to in her work!
Check out this LINK HERE to see what prints and stickers we have available from Liz.
Check out this LINK HERE to see what prints and stickers we have available from Liz.
Thanks reading & don't forget to tune in next week for more creative behind the scenes!
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