Each year, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators puts on a juried exhibit of members’ work in a location near the annual conference. Most of the time, the conference and exhibit take place in the United States. It’s expensive and a hassle to ship artwork across the border, so I haven’t entered anything in recent years. However, with 2018 being the GNSI’s 50th anniversary year and in consideration of the distinguished venue and extended duration of this year’s exhibit, I decided to enter some work. I am delighted that the jurors selected two of my three entries.

The 2018 exhibit hangs in the Gallery of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, DC until October 15, 2018. It is an appropriate place for a display of carefully considered science visualizations. The large exhibit is well worth a visit if you’re in the vicinity.

One of my accepted entries is the drawing I submitted for this coin design. The other (below) is part of a series of insects and spiders I recently illustrated, a project to help people identify and appreciate the fauna associated with the native wildflower goldenrod.

illustrations insects spider goldenrod

Goldenrod Associates; illustrations of insects and a spider commonly found on goldenrod. © Emily S. Damstra

I gratefully received funding from the Ontario Arts Council for this series.