Robert L. Niese
// science // art // education
Blending Science and Art
// graphic design // social media // art for scientists
/art + design
^ Flocking: Simple graphics such as this image designed using basic Microsoft Office tools, can be an elegant, visually pleasing way to illustrate complex biological principles. In this case, a scientist might be discussing the evolution of sexually selected traits and the trade-offs they impose on "blending-in" with a flock. There's no reason scientific imagery has to be dull and boring, and when art and science are married in this way, we can more easily connect to disparate audiences.
>> Pretty Dead: Just as natural history stories and engaging learning experiences can help students make meaningful connections between "dead things" and the living creatures they represent, so too can art bring dead things back to life. This graphic in particular has been printed on apparel, iPhone cases, mugs, etc. and is sure to elicit curious inquiry which will inevitably lead to new learning experiences. What's more, an image such as this requires no special software or skillsets to produce - any scientist with a background in PowerPoint could make it.
Logo for my blog, So Much Science. Created in Office using clipart.
Volunteer student docents at the Slater Museum wearing Pretty Dead t-shirts designed in Microsoft Office Suite programs.
I spy two budgies, a goldfinch, three pennies, a bat,
a tarantula, five warblers, and the skull of a woodrat;
two bacula, an eraser, a cardinal’s wing,
a bobby pin, a bushtit, and some red and white string;
four pistachios, a snipe tail, a magnifying glass, five tacks,
a paperclip chain, a sea urchin, and a pencil that is black;
a chipmunk, two hummingbird nests, two eggs that are blue,
fifteen mammal skulls, two kinglets, and a murre egg too!
I Spy: Created at the Slater Museum for the Elements Science Magazine at the University of Puget Sound.
Critter Jitter: a stop-motion film created by the Slater Museum to celebrate the University of Puget Sound's 125th birthday.
Doug Fir Cone Logo: I have designed several logos for NorthwestNaturalist.org, but still have yet to settle on my favorite.
Love Bugs: a patterned collage of my insect and spider portraits (photos to scale) designed in Microsoft Publisher.
Planktonic: a patterned image of various echinoderm larvae and eggs designed in Microsoft Publisher.