Advisor: Stephen Nash

When you live on an island, you are never too far away from a body of water. Prior to declaring Studio Art as my major, Computer Science and Marine Science were my initial chosen fields of study. I had always been fascinated by the water and the organisms inhabiting its depths. When individuals contemplate marine animals, most will reflexively think of sharks, whales, or perhaps a fish. However, most people never consider a horseshoe crab or a jellyfish existing in our direct vicinity. My independent study focuses on both living marine organisms and shells in the local area.

I have always been captivated by the fluidity and grace that marine organisms demonstrate when gliding through the water. Moreover, I am always intrigued by the textures, shapes, and colors that naturally occur in shells. For each organism’s study sketches I explored different postures and angles that would best exhibit its attributes. This could be multiple positions depending on the desired aesthetic of the image.

A major component of the independent study was the complication of references and articles to better understand each organism and its movements. Throughout the study, there were numerous examples of how marine science bleeds into everyday life. The TWA Hotel’s original design was based upon the anatomy of a bird; however, the aerial view of the hotel resembles a stingray. Moreover, the Fibonacci sequence can be observed via the nautilus shell’s beautiful logarithmic spiral. For my project I not only wanted to focus on some of my favorite Long Island marine organisms but also how they can be seen in everyday life.

While I mainly use ink and pencil for my live studies, I used this project to experiment with color and tone. This was achieved by utilizing colored pencils and different types of paper for a variety of tones and textures. The independent study allowed me to hone my skills in drawing from both life and photo references. It also pushed me to delve deeper into the research of each marine mammal. Even though I am no longer majoring in Computer Science and Marine Science, I was able to bridge the gap between my interests in science and art.