I love it when the edges are blurred between art and science. Here are five intricate images captured down the lens of a microscope.
1. Gingko biloba leaf stalk 16x. By Eckhard Völcker
2. Rhizome of a stinging nettle 10x. By Eckhard Völcker
3. Onion root meristem (aka the bit where growth happens) 20x. By Blue Ridge Kitties
4. The beautiful cross section of a stem. By Shihchuan.
5. Red geranium petals 400x. By Umberto Savagnin.
Posted by thefty on 19/06/2012
http://top5photos.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/top-5-plant-microscopy/
Crustaceans: crabs, lobsters, crayfish, krill and barnacles. Sometimes tasty, always good looking! Here are five images for your delectation:
1. I saw this lobster trinket box at the Brussels Flea Market. I should’ve bought it. (From my Flickr)
2. A Sally Lightfoot crab, by Max Westby. Those colours!
3. I took this photo last weekend, by the seaside.
4. A rainbow Mantis Shrimp. What an absolute beauty. By Klaus Stiefel
5. This is my drawing. Yes, I did have a pet crayfish. (His name was Sebastian.)
Speaking of prawns, I highly recommend this video.
Posted by thefty on 28/03/2012
http://top5photos.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/top-5-crustaceans/
When people tell me they don’t like beetles, it makes me want to laugh. Have you had a proper look, my friend? If you like bright colour and metallic shine, then you like beetles. If you’re intrigued by complex structures and intricate machines, then you like beetles.
Here are five beauties, photographed by Udo Schmidt (I very rarely use a single source for my posts, but this is a worthy exception).
1. Eupholus amalulu Porion: Powder blue, stripy, and with the elongated face of a hippo.
2. Stolas mannerheimi: This Peruvian beauty is less than 1.5cm long. So much detail on such a tiny little beast.
3. Henosepilachna reticulata reticulata : Burnt orange with mahogany markings. This one reminds me of a sea shell.
4. Onthophagus schwaneri Vollenhoven: A royal blue scarab
5. Gastrophysa polygoni: Under original post, someone has written ‘nature makes me weep’.
So far, we’ve discovered about 400 000 species of beetle, and we’re probably not even halfway there yet. Out of all the species ever discovered on earth, beetle species make up 25%. That’s impressive, no? Respect to the beetles.
Posted by thefty on 23/02/2012
http://top5photos.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/top-5-coleoptera-beetles/
Imaging being a Victorian scientist on an exotic expedition, without a trusty digital camera to record your observations. What would you do? You would learn to draw (or you would make friends with someone who could draw).
The study of natural history involves observing and recording the details of natural forms. As an artist with a background in biology, I am drawn to these images. While the artist in me is struck by the colours and patterns, the scientist in me looks for the similarities and differences between forms, always seeking explanations through evolution.
1. Ernst Haeckel was a master of the genre. His illustrations weren’t dry observations, they were meticulously composed masterpieces. Click here to see more of his work.
2. Look at all those intricate brush strokes! I don’t think I’d have the patience for this kind of work. By Henry Seebohm, Razorbill Eggs, (from here)
3. The Brooklyn Museum has plenty of entomological prints. This is a collection of beetles from Senegal, Guinea, Madagascar and Venezuela.
4. An engraving from 1772. Conch Shells by Pietri Antonio Pazzi (from here)
5. A grape vine, up close. You can actually buy this print (and other antique prints) from here.
Click here to see a stunning, modern application of antique natural history prints.
Posted by thefty on 10/02/2012
http://top5photos.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/top-5-natural-history-illustrations/
Project Ocean is a month-long extravaganza at London’s iconic Selfridge’s store. The project focuses on marine conservation, and there are plenty of events and workshops to attend. Excitingly enough, my artwork was featured (in collaboration with Fauna & Flora International), so perhaps I’m biased when I say it’s worth checking out. I doubt it, though – any event featuring a whale rodeo is cool, for sure.
1. Beautiful (and enormous) balloon installation by Jason Hackenwerth.
2. An installation for Fauna & Flora International featuring my artwork.
3. Live corals provided by ZSL. All specimens were confiscated at Heathrow!
4. Something fishy is going on.
5. Whale rodeo! Whale rodeo!
Posted by thefty on 20/05/2011
http://top5photos.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/top-5-project-ocean/
Flowers are pretty things, but my background in biology means that I love them for more reasons than that. There is such variety in size and shape and colour and smell. This has everything to do with pollination and evolution, and it is more facinating than you may imagine. For example, read this.
1. Stock (genus Matthiola): heavily scented, insect pollinated.
2. Cotton (genus Gossypium): Unscented, predominantly self-pollinating.
3. Lemon blossom (Citrus limon): Heavily scented, bee pollinated.
4. Jasmine (Genus Jasminum): heavily scented, insect pollinated.
5. I don’t know what this flower is, but it didn’t smell. Any thoughts?
Posted by thefty on 11/12/2009
http://top5photos.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/top-5-white-flowers/
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