Scientific Illustration students and alumni joined Professor of Visual and Performing Arts Scott Rawlins at the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators’ annual meeting at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, N.C. The conference, held from June 25 to July 1, featured educational panels and speakers, as well as hands-on activities and field trips.

Professor Rawlins served on an education panel, offered a colored pencil workshop, participated in an “Infographics using Adobe Illustrator” workshop with Rosa Loveszy ’16 and Julia Lunavictoria ’18, and presented on Chromesthesia, a neurological condition that causes individuals to involuntarily associate sounds with colors. Demonstrating her own techniques, Loveszy presented on “The Catacombs of Santa Lucia.”

Additionally, Professor Rawlins and Lauren Ellenberg ’13 displayed pieces in a juried exhibition. Several Arcadia representatives also worked on a series of graphics that were unveiled at the Asheville Museum of Science on June 30.

The week culminated with a trip to Blue Ridge Parkway, which gave participants the opportunity to look for and sketch local snakes, salamanders, and snails.

“The conference was both educational and enjoyable,” said Professor Rawlins. “We gained a greater appreciation for the ecology of western North Carolina, learned new illustration techniques, and interacted with some of the most accomplished scientific visual communicators in the field.”