Nova has been making art since they were old enough to hold a pencil. This creative outlet has been used throughout their life to challenge their perspective, explore, and connect to the natural world around them. They initially went to college for studio art, switching to an outdoor education major after realizing their passion for the outdoors. As they finished their degree they continued to build their art skills, finding new and creative ways to bring art into the realm of outdoor education.
An ink drawing of E/V Nautilus' ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) Hercules exploring a newly-found whale fall, commissioned by their shipmate.
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Now, Nova combines their drawing skills with their love for wildlife and storytelling by recreating what they find as they travel for expeditions and television shoots. These drawings range from quick sketches, to technical drawings, to juggling watercolors at sea, and anything else they can get their hands on. They also take commissions, often capturing unique moments for the colleagues and scientists they expedition with.
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Their most common on-the-go drawing takes place in a technical bullet journal they started at sea aboard the E/V Nautilus in 2021. With this journal they've illustrated their adventures; from deploying a miniature deep-sea Wall-E to capturing the essence of a high-speed Pizza Hut drag racing car; from meeting the highland cows of Kodiak, Alaska to conducting juvenile shark science in the archipelago of Turks and Caicos.
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A technical drawing of an engine block and Pizza Hut race car on location while shooting a drag racing show in Alabama.
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Nova's intent with creating this body of work is to design new ways to communicate science in addition to their film and photography work. Art has a unique ability to capture an audience in ways that matter-of-fact documentation and storytelling often cannot reach. To expand their reach, these drawings are also posted onto social media to explain the sciences they are documenting and how to find out more information about the project.
A technical illustration of a BRUVS (Baited Remote Underwater Video Station) used to conduct shark research on a 2022 expedition with National Geographic and Ocean Exploration Trust aboard the E/V Nautilus, off the coast of Maui.
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Since starting their journal, Nova has been exploring other new and creative ways to communicate the science they document while on expedition. Recently, they had the opportunity to work with an InstaPro 360, a cutting edge 360 camera equipped with Mantis underwater housing and rigging, which inspired some timelapse recordings of their drawing process. Their goal with these videos is to share how they make their drawings and inspire others to use more art in science and exploration.
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Below are highlighted pages from Nova's sketchbooks, technical journal, and other expedition artwork.
Click the images to learn more about their location, science, and back story.
Click the images to learn more about their location, science, and back story.
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