Long Island NWR Visitor Center Mural, 62 feet L

This mural was created for the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (Wertheim Center, Shirley, NY). It is about 63 feet in length, and is 10 feet high. The end portions are customized to roll around a curved wall and will have exhibits associated with them (thus the "weird" shapes on the ends).

The approach on this mural was very different from the last large mural I did with Lyons-Zaremba, Inc., and see below at the Apalachicola NERR mural). We went for a loose, painterly style that would be more reminiscent of a plein-aire painting than of a science museum image. Since I do nearly all my work digitally these days, this was more of a challenge than I had anticipated!
If you go to my website, I will post some of the detail so that you can see just how loose it is.

Ocean, Beach, Dunes, Salt Marsh

The area just below some of the dunes will house a large Plover exhibit. Interactive boxes will teach visitors about water quality and salt marsh restoration.
This image is a portion of the whole; it is missing some square footage above and below. Actual size will be about 16 feet in length, for this portion.

Salt Marsh, Mudflats, Maritime Forest, Phragmites Stand, Freshwater Marsh

This image is the central portion of this section of the mural, which in reality is about 16 feet wide (ten feet high). There is a Greater Yellowlegs depicted near the bottom which is cut off in this view. You can however see the Blue Heron in the mid-distance. To the middle-right is a large Phragmites (Common Reed) stand, which is an invasive species; interactive boxes within the mural itself allow visitors to discover ways in which the Refuge is dealing with this and other issues.

Freshwater Marsh, River, Stream and Grasslands

This section, like the last, measures about 16 feet wide and ten feet high (not all the sky or bottom/stream area is shown).

Shrubs, Pine Barrens, MIxed Forest, Rocky Coast

The farthest-right panel includes grassland, Mixed hardwood and pine forest, and a rocky beach.

ANERR Mural Update - we went to visit!

Seeing the mural in person was exciting, or shall I say: terrifying. I am standing next to it for scale. My good friend Kristen from grad school, an accomplished medical illustrator, traveled with me from Ocala (FL) to Apalachicola on my way north for the summer.
If you have not scrolled down to see this mural (e.g., the actual posting of the mural), please do! Critters and detail are all below.... keep scrolling....!

At this point the exhibits were still under construction, but you get a sense of the size.
This mural is below; scroll down a-ways and you can check out the mural in more detail.

Penguins of The World!!

These penguins are from an exhibit at the Toronto Zoo, as well as at the New England Aquarium, though I have altered it for my own portfolio.
In the Toronto Zoo exhibit the penguins here are actual size, meaning: the Emporer is 4 feet tall!

It has also been used in another format for a veterinary medicine textbook. Some of the penguins had to be increased or decreased in size, according to the newest data worldwide.

This image is available as an art print, measuring 11" high X 36" wide with a 3/4 " white border, and is printed on velvet fine art paper with quality inks. It sells for $70 plus shipping/handling (usually= $10). Please email barb@barbaraharmon.com to place an order.

African Penguin Threat Display

One of five penguin behavior illustrations for the new exhibit at Toronto Zoo.

Life Cycle of Atlantic Salmon, for New England Aquarium

With the Long Island mural on hold, I have been working with New England Aquarium on some exhibit revisions. These Atlantic Salmon images will not be arranged as I have them here, but I thought I'd play with some type and design. The fish need to be side views; otherwise I'd give them more "life" by showing more varied angles.
These will end up in a large format exhibit, superimposed on a large photo with type, explaining the vast reduction in numbers as the salmon reach maturity.