Andrea Dingeldein

Andrea Dingeldein specializes in visual depictions of the maritime environment. She illustrates everything from the flora and fauna of the ocean realm, to the vessels and lighthouses that have guided generations of humans towards scientific discovery. With watercolors and field notebook in hand, she sets out into California’s tide pools, redwood forests, and coastal prairies to document the wonders and oddities of the natural world. Back in the studio she transforms her field studies into polished science illustrations for researchers, parks, and local environmental organizations that fight to protect the ecosystems she knows and loves. In addition to working as a freelance artist, Andrea is an instructor for the Science Illustration Program at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB). She teaches Field Sketching, Applied Techniques in Natural Science Illustration, and Applied Integration of Digital Media.

Website: http://www.thelocalnaturalist.com/
Instagram: @the_local_naturalist

Brett Bell

Brett has a lot of stoke for all things natural history and gets particularly nerdy with his botanical curiosities. He finds one of the best ways to express his admiration and wonder for the natural world comes through sketching and painting. He is a big fan of watercolor and encourages those new to it to “keep the brush wet” as his Nana used to tell him when he was starting out. He especially enjoys sketching and painting botanical studies and landscapes. Outside of artistic pursuits, Brett also works as a botanist and plant ecologist supporting native plant restoration projects on the central coast.

Website: www.brettbellstudio.com
Instagram: @brettbellstudio

Brynna Reilly

I have grown up my entire life in Aptos, and I have spent a very significant amount of time in the Sierra Nevada mountains. These two distinct areas have cultivated my love and respect for nature and have allowed me to explore the many different relationships that exist in these ecosystems. I create paintings and drawings inspired by the natural world and particularly from both the terrestrial and marine ecosystems that I interact with most. In the future I hope to be use science illustration as an environmental educational tool so that every type of learner is able to forge strong connections and relationships to the natural world that we are all a part of.

Instagram: @brynna_illustrates

Cady DeLay

While originally from San Diego I moved to Monterey in 2022 to study and then pursue scientific illustration. Although my location has changed, my passions remain constant: art and the ocean. My work focuses on color and exaggerated detail to make the subject more recognizable, accessible, and fun! Recently, I’ve focused more on 3D pieces. I started with making a four-foot interactive model of a bottlenose dolphin to demonstrate how a dolphin’s body acclimates to diving. It was a big undertaking for my first 3D project, but I learned a lot and I am excited to do more projects of its kind, creating a hands-on opportunity for everyone to learn about their environment.

Website: www.artdedelay.com
Instagram: @cadydelay

Calene Luczo Fletcher

Calene Luczo is a professional freelance marine science illustrator. Her undergraduate career in marine biology and art propelled her toward completing a Graduate Certificate in Science Illustration from CSU Monterey Bay in 2012. Since then, she has done projects for organizations locally and globally, including The Point Lobos Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, WIRED science, the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland, the Bay Foundation, Carnegie Institute of Science, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, and the U.S. Navy. Her goal with her artwork is to create a window for people to better see and understand the natural history of coastal species and ecosystems with the hope of inspiring ocean conservation efforts.

Website: www.luczoart.com
Instagram: @luczoillustration

Elizabeth Plummer

California native Elizabeth Plummer has lived on the southern and central coast all her life. Geographically having access to the outdoors it was easy for her to fall in love with nature. With her art she hopes to inspire curiosity, to stop and look a little longer and a little closer at our world.

Instagram: @@iizard1

Elizabeth Romanini

Website: http://www.thenaturalline.com/
Instagram: @elizabethromanini

Erin E. Hunter

Erin E. Hunter is an artist and science illustrator with a background in graphic design. She splits her work between fine art paintings depicting the natural world, and technical illustrations for an academic science journal (Annual Reviews). Her personal work focuses on the interactions between plants and animals, with a special interest in plant-pollinator relationships.

Website: www.eehunter.com
Instagram: @erinhunterart

Erin Ellis

Erin Marie Ellis is an artist, illustrator, and designer based in Western North Carolina. Formally trained in traditional illustration, typography, and the lettering arts, Erin studied at Maryland Institute, College of Art and The Cooper Union before landing in the Science Illustration program at CSUMB last year. Plants are Erin’s primary interest and have been part of her art practice since a serendipitous trip to New Zealand in 2013 when she began to study them through drawing. Erin finds meaning creating art in the service of nature, helping others to understand and value our precious natural world.

Website: www.erinellis.com
Instagram: @leavesandletterforms

Haley Grunloh

Haley Grunloh is an illustrator from New Haven, CT, currently enrolled in the Science Illustration Certificate program at CSUMB. She has always had a fascination with animals, and drawing them has been a good excuse to study them closely, finding a deeper appreciation and understanding of them. She has a particular interest in the less ‘charismatic’ species that can be easily overlooked. 

Website: www.haleygrunloh.com

Hannah Caisse

Hello! My name is Hannah Caisse, and I am a certified science illustrator with a Bachelor’s degree in evolution and ecology. I am especially passionate about vertebrate anatomy, mammalogy, herpetology, and paleontology. When I am not illustrating critters or plants in traditional and digital media, I am teaching field trips as a museum educator, sharing my excitement and enthusiasm for science and nature with kids in and around Santa Cruz. On my more chill days, you can find me reading, hiking, baking, rock climbing, gardening, or peeking under rocks.

Website: www.hannahcaisse.com
Instagram: @synap_sida

Hannah Kanne

Hannah is a science illustrator from Georgia. She received her B.F.A. in Studio Art with an emphasis in Science Illustration from The University of Georgia. Her desire to learn more brought her to California where she received her certificate in Science Illustration at CSUMB. Science illustration allows her to study and reflect the beauty and complexity of nature. She looks to the skies and the ocean for inspiration. Using watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, ink, and digital mediums, she hopes to educate and inspire others to find the same love and passion for the natural world that surrounds us.

Website: hannahkanne.com
Instagram: @kanne.studio

Jennifer Zee

Jennifer V. Zee is a Chinese American, San Francisco based Printmaker. She prints distinctive nature and geometry inspired art from hand carved blocks. Jennifer’s designs are meticulous, often featuring intricate tessellations that incorporate concepts and aesthetics from her background as a scientific illustrator and biologist. Jennifer is an active artist and teacher in her local community, and is passionate about using her art to inform her audience about biodiversity and conservation, as well as social justice with a focus on Chinese American experience.

Website: www.ginkgozee.com
Instagram: @ginkgozee

Jessica Cohen

Jessica Cohen is a high school teacher and multimedia artist. She lives on Soquel Creek with her husband and daughter. At any given time she probably has garden dirt, bike grease, beach sand, or mud on her boots due to her impulsive forays outdoors.

Jonathan Broberg

Jon is a current science illustration student who originally hails from San Diego. Jon’s sensibilities were shaped by a childhood surrounded by farm animals and performing-arts communities, where observation and expression were encouraged and inextricably linked. He uses playfulness to approach topics on behavior and ecological relationships, and the non-human ways that animals show their own forms of expression. Jon recently emerged from seven years as an undergrad, during which time he studied studio art and biology at community college and CSU Long Beach. He aspires to work in the field of interactive educational media. When he’s not painting, Jon enjoys wildlife photography, amateur woodworking, and making unnecessary graphs.

Instagram: @jonbro_art

Kaelin O’Hare

Kaelin O’Hare is an illustrator and interpretive designer based in Santa Cruz, CA. Her practice exists in the intersection between art, science, and education, with the goal of making complex ideas accessible to a diverse public audience. Kaelin is a 2023 graduate of the Science Illustration program at California State University, Monterey Bay, and has a background working in interpretation within California State Parks. She has a particular interest in fire ecology, and trees.

Website: www.kaelinohare.com
Instagram: @kaelinohare_illustration

Kathryn McCullough

Kathryn McCullough is a Bay Area native living in the Mountains above Santa Cruz.  Katie specializes in watercolor and focuses on representing the amazement found in the beauty of her surroundings.  She is motivated to create art from the worlds seen around her.  Katie’s most recent work springs from morning walks through the Monarch Sanctuary at Natural Bridges State Park. These creatures flickering from branch to branch competing for the ideal position to catch the sun’s rays moved Katie to seek a deeper understanding of the Monarch butterfly’s minute existence. The lush landscape of Santa Cruz, from the mountains to the shoreline, is overflowing with an endless stream of curiosities.  It is from this great spectacle of nature that she finds inspiration

Instagram: @pinkinkarts

Kevin Wiseman

Kevin Wiseman is an artist and biologist with over 25 years of research and survey experience
with California amphibians and reptiles. He is a Research Associate with the Department of
Herpetology, California Academy of Sciences, a consulting herpetologist, and teaches a Reptiles and Amphibians of the Sierra Nevada workshop at the Sierra Nevada Field Campus. Wiseman’s art is deeply inspired by natural history, a bout with cerebral malaria, the darker side of nature, and morphology. Wiseman worked as a scientific illustrator for the Essig Museum of Entomology at U.C. Berkeley and has contributed to many scientific publications and several books. Wiseman’s art has been shown at galleries and museums including Blue Line Arts Gallery, the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, the Tilden Nature Center, U.C. Berkeley’s Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and Copro Gallery.

Website: kevinwisemanart.com
Instagram: @wiseman_art

Khenya Clark

Khenya Clark is a student who is working towards a biology degree. Originally from Oregon, she grew up in the Santa Cruz mountains climbing trees and exploring the woods with her family. Her hobbies include arts and the outdoors.

Krista Anandakuttan

Find Krista exploring with a sketchbook on cliff edges, in museum vaults, classrooms and jungles. With a background in ecology and evolutionary biology, she is a science illustrator and librarian living in the Bay Area.

Website: http://illustratescience.com

Liz Bloomfield

I am a San Francisco-based ceramic sculptor, creating art predominantly inspired by nature. Starting with a combination of natural samples from long walks, scientific illustrations, and photographs, I adapt my making process to capture the essence of the natural form in question. I studied neuropsychology as an undergraduate and conducted research on human and animal behavior. I later worked as a biology technician for aquatic animal exhibits at the Exploratorium, bringing me once again close proximity to the natural world in a scientific setting.  After enrolling in community college classes for sculpture and ceramics, I fell in love with clay for its wonderful malleability, immediacy with which I can execute ideas, and the medium’s endless avenues of exploration. I have exhibited my ceramic work in galleries, studios, and museums in various US cities.

Website: www.lizbloomfield.com
Instagram: @eb_clay

Lora Roame

Lora Roame is a wildlife biologist and artist living and working in the Bay Area. Born and raised in Southern California, she draws much of her inspiration from her time spent exploring the oceans and deserts near her home. She uses watercolor and digital mediums to create detailed illustrations of native California wildlife. Ms. Roame’s passion for the conservation of our local wildlife and wild spaces is reflected in both her art, her career as a biologist, and her volunteer work in her community. One of her favorite accomplishments is volunteering with community science groups like the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory where she assists with the collection of data on migratory raptors in the Marin Headlands and creates artwork and illustrations for their publications and training manuals. She hopes her work inspires others to discover and get curious about their local wildlife. 

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LoraRoameArt
Instagram and Twitter: @loraroameart

Lyal Michel

Lyal is an artist currently living and working in Carmel Valley, where he can often be found hiking and foraging in the hills with his young daughter Dorothy. Lyal studied art and painting at the San Francisco Art Institute (MFA ‘11) and the University of California, Santa Cruz (BA ‘03). Beginning with a residency in Vermont in ‘15, his work has focused on the natural world, frequently with a dreamlike and personal perspective. 

Website: www.lyalmichel.com

Maria Cecelia Freeman

Maria Cecilia Freeman gardens, paints and teaches in Aptos, California. Her work includes scientific illustration and botanically accurate fine art, often merging the two in graphite and watercolor studies. She likes to create art that will serve the goals of education and conservation. She takes a special interest in portraying native plant species with a view to their preservation. Also, she particularly loves drawing and painting heritage and species roses. Her work has appeared in solo and juried exhibitions in the U.S. and Europe. She is a Filoli Florilegium artist and has contributed to the Alcatraz and Mt. Tamalpais Florilegia as well. She is a member of the Northern California Society of Botanical Artists, and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators.

Website: http://www.mcf-art.com

Mason Schratter

I am a graduate of the CSUMB science illustration program and I have a B.S. in graphic communication from Cal Poly. I used my background in art and design to further explore my interest in nature and now I have had the wonderful opportunity to create meaningful work centered around some fascinating specimens. I was obsessed with dinosaurs growing up, so paleoart was a natural course for me. Paleoart offers so much opportunity to be creative, having to imagine full landscapes and environments rich with wildlife that we can’t see, using the best facts we have to inform those decisions. Dinosaurs and Mesozoic reptiles were a heavy interest of mine and I have recently been focused on the paleofauna of California from the Mesozoic and Pleistocene, as well as the evolution of ground sloths. Beyond paleoart, I love illustrating our modern dinosaurs, the birds, and their vibrant diversity.

Instagram: @masonschratterart

Megan Gnekow

Megan Gnekow’s art has long been about storytelling and uncovering hidden connections. Her current work focuses on the relationships between various organisms in their ecosystems, with a particular focus on the recovery and resiliency requirements of sensitive species. Megan earned an undergraduate degree in art from Portland State University and a Graduate Certificate in Science Illustration from UC Santa Cruz. She has participated in Artist in Residence programs at the Palomarin Field Station, Elkhorn Slough, and the Plumas National Forest. Her illustration clients include Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Pinnacles National Park, the Filoli Center, and various private individuals. Megan continues her work as a professional illustrator and amateur naturalist, honing her skills through exploration of the collection of ecosystems we call California. 

Instagram: @seven_ravens_studio
Website: https://www.sevenravensstudio.com/

Melissa Robbins-Eugene

Hi there, thank you for viewing my art! My name is Melissa Robbins-Eugene and I’m a visual
artist. Born and raised in Monterey County, I’m inspired by the beauty and functionality of
nature, especially fungi. I first started painting mushrooms because I’m a huge fantasy buff and loved the whimsical aspect of them. As I looked up various mushrooms for reference, I learned more about them, and I became more interested in identification and foraging. As I’ve collected specimens, I’ve “preserved” them through my art, noting characteristics such as appearance and growth patterns. It is my hope to inspire and educate others, as well as demystify thestigma around wild mushrooms so that everyone may enjoy their benefits! 

Instagram: @ArtByMycoMelissa

Michael Baca

Michael is a self taught artist living in Santa Cruz since 2014 with a history in scientific illustration. He enjoys taking inspiration from scientific processes as well as philosophical and spiritual concepts to explore what it means to be human. Michael hopes to bridge the gap between science and mysticism through art and encourages his viewers to embrace their sense of self, always ask questions, and spread love through creativity wherever possible!

Molly Brown

Molly Brown is a wildlife printmaker living and working in Santa Cruz, California. 

Website: https://www.mollybrownart.com
Instagram: @pots_n_things

Nefret Allen-Cantu

My name is Nefret Allen-Cantu and I am a student at UC Santa Cruz working on a B.A. in Agroecology. I am passionate about food systems, ecology, and education. With my art I hope to inspire people to find new ways to engage with the world around them. I grew up believing that art could only be a hobby, but in recent years I have been inspired to use art as a tool for education, community building, and self reflection. Now, I plan on incorporating art into any of the careers I end up pursuing.

Nicholas Ta

Nicholas Ta specializes in creating digital sculptures and printed models of marine animals in their environments. In under 1 year with the Monterey Peninsula College 3D Arts Program; he has become adept in multiple fields such as: digital sculpting, slicing, FDM & Resin, machine maintenance & repair, scanning, photogrammetry, and fabrication. These new skills are combined with his extensive background in professional SCUBA diving; and his undergraduate studies in Ecology and Animal Physiology. His foundational goal is to use 3D Arts to enhance scientific communication; creating more accessibility in marine science. 

Website: ReefRenders.com

Noelle Balagtas

My name is Noelle and I enjoy exploring the Santa Cruz wildlife while on hikes. I began crafting mushroom sculptures out of admiration for the specimens I observed during my adventures. Slowly but surely my sculpting skills became better. I now hold the goal of creating the most realistic mushroom sculpture. I am honored to share my artwork with you. It brings me much joy when my creations find a new home where they will continue to be admired and cherished.

Website: https://linktr.ee/ecogeekart

Patricia Larenas

Patricia Larenas has a special interest the iconic trees of the San Francisco Bay Area, especially the native species. Her tree portraits of individual trees, are intended to bring attention to their profound beauty and their critical role in our global ecosystem. She believes that the health of our trees is a reflection of the health of our planet, and currently both are in crisis. Patricia is currently Artist in Residence with Canopy, a non-profit dedicated to growing the urban forest in the Bay Area (www.canopy.org). She studied in the Filoli Botanical Art Certificate Program in Woodside CA, and is an exhibiting member of the Northern California Society of Botanical Artists. She received her B.A. degree in Studio Art from San Jose State University. Patricia was born in Chile and currently lives in Mountain View with her husband and a menagerie of trees.

Website: www.plarenasonpaper.com
Instagram: @plarenas_onpaper

Rachel Strader

Growing up in Upstate New York, I didn’t get to see the ocean until I was twelve years old, but I was already obsessed. I remember walking out onto the Florida beach with my grandparents while sporting a t-shirt with a beautifully-rendered watercolor array of the local reef fishes–the science nerd equivalent of wearing the band’s t-shirt to their concert. Since that young age, the ocean, art, and conservation have been currents flowing through my winding path. In my artwork I focus on natural science, the beauty of special places, and the critters that live there.  I paint evocative, gentle watercolors and landscapes, and also do more graphic linocut, ink, and digital works. I use color and composition to enhance ecological stories. Whatever medium, my work always aims to set a mood and put the viewer inside the environment–hopefully inspiring them to care more about its lasting health.

Website: www.rachelstrader.com

Rebecca Botelho

I am a self-taught botanical artist, working primarily in watercolors. I live in California, with my
husband, a cat, and two dogs. My favorite subjects to paint are plants, particularly those with intricate shapes and / or vivid colors, and species native to my birthplace and home in Northern California. I bring my training as a scientist to my painting, always trying to tell a story about the botanical subject’s natural lifecycle and growth, and the place of that particular plant or animal in a larger ecological context.

Website: www.watercolorandline.com
Instagram: @watercolorandline

Reid Psaltis

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Reid Psaltis enjoys making work that expands boundaries of what is typically considered science illustration. With experience in comics, exhibits sculpture, murals and branding, he’s made work for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the American Museum of Natural History and the National Parks Service, and is the author of the graphic novel ‘Kingdom/Order.’ He currently teaches in the Science Illustration Program at California State University Monterey Bay.

Website: www.reidpsaltis.com
Instagram: @trimetrodon

Sami Chang

Samantha (Sami) Chang is a proud East Bay Area Native. Growing up, she explored her jungle of a backyard, sketchbook and pens always in hand, and drew everything she saw. Though art was one of her first loves, she became passionate about marine sciences when she was 12 years old. This passion drove her to pursuing a Marine Science degree from California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and allowed her to focus her studies on a large range of marine organisms, from the Humpback whales that visit the bay during the summer months to feed on schools of sardines to the black abalone that hide deep within the rocky crevices of the intertidal to avoid being eaten by sea otters. Combining her love of art and science, she went on to gain her graduate certification in Science Illustration at CSUMB in hopes of educating large audiences on various marine organisms and ecological processes as well as how they are impacted by human interactions.

Website: https://www.schangstudios.com/

Sondra Cohelan

My illustrations have been exhibited locally and nationally and are in both public and
private collections throughout the United States.I enjoy the process and challenges that
are demanded when creating realistically accurate images. My biggest joy is sharing my
illustration knowledge with others.

Suzy Radonsky

Suzy Rad is a self-taught Artist. After serving in the USAF she pursued a dream by moving overseas to work as an event planner. Unfortunately, the 2010 economic crisis led to the loss of her job. It was during a 522-miles trek along the GR-11 in Spain that she had a life changing epiphany, which included three goals: #1 become an artist, #2 work in the outdoors, #3 work
for a brewery. She achieved the latter two by becoming a Colorado whitewater raft guide, eventually leading to a role as a brewery tour guide. Since 2019, Suzy has embraced her passion for art, specializing in neo-realistic animal and pet commission paintings. Her journey took a unique turn when she discovered that her older son was on the autism spectrum, prompting her to connect art to animals, leading to a deeper self-understanding and a better understanding of her son’s perspective. Suzy’s art can be experienced at The Tannery Art Complex, Santa Cruz, CA, Studio #123.

Website: www.suzyradarts.com
Instagram: @suzyrad

Tina Fuller Somers

Tina Fuller Somers is a multi-disciplinary artist who combines her passion for art, nature, and science to create unique and inspiring works. With a BA in Painting and a Master’s Certification in Science Illustration, Tina has developed a diverse skill set that allows her to tackle a wide range of projects with confidence and creativity through her business, Hawk & Hammer Creative Studio. From field guides to woodblock prints and murals, she brings a distinctive perspective to her art that reflects her deep respect and appreciation for the natural world. As a mother and nature lover born and raised in Santa Cruz, Tina is driven by a desire to share her art with others and to promote a deeper connection to the world around us.

Website: www.hawkandhammer.com
Instagram: @hawkandhammergram

Torie Robinson

Torie is an artist and cartographer from Felton, California working in the field of conservation GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Drawing inspiration from studying and understanding all the intricate details that make a place…a place, he will invariably want to go home and map it.

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/torierobinsonmaps/home?pli=1
Instagram: @maritime.pine