I’m excited to announce that I am on a podcast and it’s up for you to listen to. Gale Straub hosts a show called She Explores about inquisitive women in the outdoors, on the road, and besides. The podcast episode starts with Gale talking to Chevon Powell about an exciting upcoming event called the Refuge Outdoor Festival. Then we talk about my story of how I grew up spending time outdoors, how and why I moved to Alaska and got interested in science illustration. I also talk about why it’s important for me to make art in the wilderness and to participate in artist residencies on public lands.
Sharing my sketchbooks and work after an artist residency on the Chilkoot Trail this summer.
Photo by NPS/ R. Harrison
You can hear me struggle to articulate how our relationship to the landscape is complicated and to me full of paradoxes. For example that I live on the edge of a national park, which is free and open to anyone to visit, but geographically isolated and difficult to walk into. Our national parks are stolen land from indigenous people, in the case where I live, the Ahtna, who have used this land for hunting and fishing for generations. People find immense freedom but also restriction in public lands. Gale gave me the space to struggle with and think about this and I appreciate her acknowledging that we might not have the answers, but it’s important to talk about even without the answers.
I hope in sharing my story that I can encourage others to get outside and to draw from their observations of the world around them. If you have any questions about my work or how you can pursue science illustration or making artwork outside, please ask. I’m happy to share what I can.
In the podcast I talk about my experience with science illustration, and one example of creating artwork for an interpretive sign explaining how this one point on a river is connected to a whole watershed.
Also, the She Explores Podcast has so many wonderful stories about women in the outdoors. Some of my favorite episodes include:
Episode 80 - The Musical Mountaineers about Anastasia and Rose two musicians who hike up to the tops of mountains at sunrise to place the violin and piano together with their surroundings.
Episode 72 - 52 Years as an Outdoor Entrepreneur with Sheri Tingey who started Alpacka Raft. As someone who enjoyed packrafting, I especially loved Sheri telling her story, but I think all can appreciate the creativity that goes into a lifetime of making outdoor gear.
Also check out this blog post in the Artistry series about illustrator, Rosalie Haizlett. Rosalie talks about her path to getting comfortable in the outdoors and a recent artist residency she did with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
And finally, She Explores has a sister podcast about Women on the Road. I’ve really enjoyed listening to this episode about idle theory called Orange is Optimism with Kit Whistler. It’s Episode 16 if you are looking for it elsewhere.
Thanks to Gale and her team for helping me to share my story and so many other stories of women in the outdoors.