Welcome to my blog...

For me, nature has never been just a backdrop. It is wild, intricate, beautiful, and sometimes unsettling, and it shapes both how I see the world and how I create. Like many people, I was fascinated by wildlife as a child, whether that meant hunting for bugs in the back garden or watching wildlife documentaries that transported me to far-flung corners of the world that felt completely out of reach.

My name is Emily, and I am an ecologist and artist. My degree is in wildlife conservation, and I have been lucky enough to turn that early fascination into a detailed study of the natural world. My life centers on the natural world, and this blog is where my scientific background meets my creativity.

What inspires me?

I find a great deal of peace in nature. On my most stressful days, the one thing that reliably calms me is stepping into the back garden and listening to the birds sing. But nature isn't just birds singing, pretty landscapes and charismatic wildlife. It is also a force of immense power, full of some pretty scary (and sometimes gross) things. It can inspire deep awe and peace, but it can also stir a raw, primal fear.

We all have something that unsettles us, whether it is that dark woodland you can see when you look out your window at night or a strange noise outside when you are lying in bed. For me, it is ripples from something moving just underneath the water surface.

I remember that , while working as an ecologist, I was asked to do a nighttime bat survey near a lake. The owner had told me that the lake, at some point in it's history, had been used as a fishing lake, and that one evening his friend asked to take a small rowing boat out onto the water to see if any fish still remained. About an hour into fishing, he felt a tug on the line. Suddenly, the line tightened, and the boat and fisherman were pulled across the lake at speed before the line went slack again, the giant fish disappearing back into the depths of the lake.

At the time, I thought it sounded like an entertaining and far-fetched fishing story; frankly, the lake wasn't that big to support this supposed leviathan . But during that survey, standing by that same lake, I saw the water ripple, followed by the outline of a very large, jagged fin breaking through the water surface, zigzagging through the water erratically before slipping back beneath the surface. The sight sent a shiver down my spine and caused a quick intake of breath. Although it was just a second, the rush of adrenaline was thrilling. It was probably just a carp left over from when the lake was used for fishing, but my brain still reacted with that fimiliar fear response that all of us have felt at various points in our lives.

However nature makes us feel: peace, awe, and primal fear are all there, out in the open, and available to all of us for free if you know where to look. That is why I want to protect the natural world, and why it always finds its way into what I create.

Hidden monsters beneath the surface: at least that's what my brain told me.

What to Expect from This Blog

I will share my knowledge of the natural world and the ways I channel my love of nature into my creative practice. In this blog, I will explore:

·        Sneak peeks of my latest artwork, glaze testing, and nature-inspired textures and themes

·        Highlights of the species and habitats that inspire me, through articles and illustrations

·        Occasional how-to articles to help you explore nature and art for yourself

I hope you will join me as I explore the wild edges where ecology and creativity meet.