Written by Super excited to say that Doodlewash has officially gone fully global as we have now posted doodlewashes from artists on all 7 continents! These stunning paintings and sketches were created through visits on location in Antarctica by the amazingly talented Lucia deLeiris. Please be sure to visit her website and see more of her wondrous works from her many travels!
Though Lucia sketched in her early years, her career in art began around 1978. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in zoology, she spent a summer as a research assistant at the 2000 acre Smithsonian National Zoo Conservation and Research Center in Virginia. While observing deer behavior, she did field sketches from the jeep, studying their forms and postures.
She then stayed on at the center to illustrate the book, The Biology and Management of an Extinct Species, Pere David’s Deer (B. Beck and C. Wemmer. ed., Noyes Pub., ’83), and to do an animated introduction for the Zoo documentary The Last Chance (Skrentny/Ames Productions, ’79). For this she spent hours in the marmoset enclosure sketching the little monkeys as one rode her arm and wrapped tiny fingers around her pencil. This six months living at the breeding center was a turning point in her life.
Her interest in the workings of the natural world had expanded to include its visual interpretation. From then on, Lucia illustrated several books and articles, including two Dover coloring books and posters for National Geographic Special Publications. She illustrated articles for magazines including Smithsonian, National Geographic Traveler, Cruising World, Ocean Realm.
Her continuing interest in science often finds its way into her art. She has traveled widely, painting in the Russian Arctic, South and Central America, Greenland, and Europe. She took three trips to Antarctica under the auspices of the National Science Foundation Artist and Writer’s program. There she lived in science stations and field camps painting, sketching and illustrating.
She writes about one of her visits with her travel companion, Sara Wheeler, author of Terra Incognita, “We both lived and worked many weeks in those huts, which were just big enough for two wooden bunks, a table and an oil drip heater. We were there as part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Artist and Writer’s Program on separate missions. I was there to paint the landscape and wildlife in the spectacular low light of spring. With a daily radio call our only contact with civilization, we lived two hours from McMurdo, a station supported by NSF, which administers the US Research Program in Antarctica.”
Lucia illustrated several books, including: Natural History of the Antarctic Peninsula, (Moss, Columbia University Press ’88,) Antarctic Journal, text by Meredith Hooper, (Frances Lincoln and National Geographic 2000,) and The Island that Moved by Meredith Hooper, (Viking, and Frances Lincoln, 2004.)
As well as exhibiting in group shows, she prepared several solo exhibitions of paintings at museums and galleries including Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, MA, Newport Art Museum in Newport, RI, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA, and Happy White Gallery, Barrington, RI.
While in Antarctica, with temperatures in the 30°s and 40°s Fahrenheit, she was dropped off by rubber Zodiac on nearby islands each day. Lucia writes, “The animals of Antarctica seemed undaunted by my presence, accepting of a foreign creature in their land… I recall sitting near an Adelie penguin colony, when one juvenile scurried up and tugged at my mitten as I sketched. There was an unusual harmony in this paradise-like land. To this day, the frozen continent warms my spirit in memories and images.”
So honored to featured Lucia deLeiris and her amazing art journey traveling to parts of the world many of us will never see. Please be sure to visit her website and see more of the locations she’s visited and the stunningly gorgeous images she’s captured! Thank you so much for being a guest on doodlewash.com, Lucia, and sharing your amazing art with us! You’re truly an inspiration to us all!
Wow, she’s amazingly talented!! Thanks for sharing, Charlie!
She is!! Glad you like her work. It’s so beautiful and with a location like that, extremely rare and unique! 😃
Spectacular!
Thanks for commenting Rebecca! Lucia is pretty amazing! 😉
Amazing stories, and equally amazing work! Lucia is fantastic!
Thanks for that Nancy! I was super thrilled to share Lucia’s work with everyone!
Was wondering how she did watercolor in super freezing temperatures?
That was my first thought!
Temps were above freezing… barely… but still seems like a challenge. You can see articles on her site including a pic of her plein air sketching. Fingerless gloves and lots of layers! Brrrrrrrr!
Beyond amazing!!
Glad you like her work, Jacob! Definitely check out her site for more amazing things!
WOW WOW WOW! Amazing artist! Thanks for sharing and introducing Charlie!!!
I know right?! I was so excited to find her work and even more excited when she agreed to be a guest post!! 😊😃
I echo what Jodi said! She does gorgeous work and I’m now a new fan!
Yay! I’m so glad Teresa! I love Lucia’s art and just had to share with everyone!!
I need to remember to Like your page on FB… 🙂
My page? You haven’t liked me yet?! Lol….just don’t stop talking to me here! Hehe😉💜
And I STILL forgot…gah! I wouldn’t dare stop to you…hahaha! x
Good!! Haha! Then all is right in the world! 😃😃😃
Okay, finally liked it! 🙂 🙂
Lol…and now all is even better in the world! Thanks friend!! Hehe 😃
Any day! 🙂
Just incredible! And congrats to you, Charlie for finding art from around the world!
Thanks Kari! Didn’t think all 7 continents were possible since no one actually lives in Antarctica! Hehe… But Lucia manage to sketch and paint there! And her work is amazing!
Wow, wow, wow, so incredibly inspirational!!!
I know, isn’t she Cathe?! Lucia’s work is so incredibly rare and wonderful!!
Thanks for taking us all over the world! (and in less than 80 days). These are beautiful and exotic. (K.)
Hehe…thanks Kerfe! Glad you like Lucia’s work! And I did manage to take us all around the world in less time. Yay! Doodlewash is just 70 days old…so I just made it under the wire! Hehe😉
woow!!! Her work is just marvelous! Splendid!!!
I know! Isn’t Lucia wonderful! So happy you like it Snehal! 😃
There are not enough words to express the wonder of her work. Beautiful and breath taking. The penguin at the top …wow…what a heart catcher. Thank you so much for introducing this artist, love her creations, love her journey.
Yeah I was so excited to find her work…so rare that someone would have both the opportunity and the courage to sketch in Antarctica! Lucia is amazing!
Oooops, I almost missed this one… And now I´m so happy that I didn´t!!! Those pictures are stunning, they hold so much beauty in them! What a wonderful icy world! I hope so much that humanity will be able to preserve it!!! Thanks for sharing, Charlie!!!
I hope the same, Ann! But so glad Lucia is helping to preserve them for us too! 😃
I love her level of detail, just enough to tell the story. Inspiring work.
Wow! Fabulous art and what a story! Thank you. I’m off to check out her website.
Amazing work and what a wonderful story.
Thank you
Fantastic work!