Science Meets Whimsy

Talk about the find of the day. I stumbled across these illustrations by biologist, philosopher and artist Ernst Haeckel, and immediately fell in love with his work. While I have the utmost respect for scientific drawings, I have always found them to be a bit stark, detatched and lacking in personal expression. Which is, of course, the purpose of them: to portray something as a biological record, not a personal interpretation. It has always struck me as a bit of a paradox really. Yet there is something different about the illustrations of Ernst Haeckel. They seem to have an emotional quality to them, while still remaining faithful to true scientific form. It's as if Scientific illustration merged with Art Nouveau into some glorious new fusion.

To view more information on Ernst Haeckel, who was quite an interesting man, click here.
You may also purchase a book of his illustrations on Amazon, titled Art Forms in Nature: The Prints of Ernst Haeckel

Lin Olofsdotter Illustrations

These beautifully vibrant pieces are created by artist Lin Olofsdotter. They are full of rich vibrant colors and heavy shapes which she has managed to combined with delicate line weight in each illustration. The result is pure whimsical goodness. For more on this artist, visit her official site here.

Eco Friendly Featured Artist: Unconventionalida

She has Always Loved the Trees

Today's featured artist is Unconventionalida. I saw her work and was instantly charmed by her unique style and unforgetable characters. There is a sweetness and warmth to each of her paintings, along with a touch of meloncholy. Unconventionalida sells both originals and prints, with a price range to fit any budget. All of her paintings are done on recycled wood.


Here's what she says about her work:
"I whole heartedly LOVE every character that comes out of my pen. Everything is a magnificent choice for me..the type of wood I will use, the grain, a male or female, old or young...The wood that I use is "rescued" from a cabinet shop in the Bitterroot Mountains.*I can't bear to see lovely wood burned just because it isn't large enough*"

The Queer Little House on the Hill

Bianca, the Albino Twin

The Lollipop Forest in Blue

You can visit her shop at http://www.unconventionalida.etsy.com/