"Grazing after the Thaw"; Watercolor of Bison Outside Yellowstone NP, Wyoming, 22" X 28"

I am going through all of my art files and that includes many fine art watercolors I have done throughout my career. I miss the west terribly, so looking at some of these brings back many fine memories. This is available as a fine art print at most sizes up to 22" X 28".

Sponges and Green Moray Illustration Panel for New England Aquarium's Giant Ocean Tank

These illustrations were super-fun since I got to illustrate so many awesome species. The green moray is amazing - they tend to live at or near the bottom of the coral reef, as they do in this giant live exhibit. New England Aquarium has many of my illustrations and they are my oldest and favorite client.

Dragonfly and Willow Illustration for Bosque del Apache NWR

Sketch-style illustration for Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, of green darner dragonfly and willow. 

Cattail and Red-winged Blackbird, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

Sketch-style illustration for Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, of a male Red-winged Blackbird singing on a cattail.

American Bittern, for Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (NM)

Formations, Inc had me do a series of illustrations for their client Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. They liked the sketchbook-style of Hanford Reach National Monument's exhibits (see below), so we opted for that. This is one of 24.

Carp sucker and Rio Grande Sucker, for Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (NM)

Formations, Inc had me do a series of illustrations for their client Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. They liked the sketchbook-style of Hanford Reach National Monument's exhibits (see below), so we opted for that. This is one of 24.

Rifts and Faults in the Rio Grande, illustration for Sevilla National Wildlife Refuge, 26" X 18"

Illustration of faults and rifts in the Rio Grande; 26” X 18”, for exhibit display panel at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (La Joya, NM); sketchbook style with pencil and light color in focal areas.

Elk and Deer Rut: Hanford Reach National Monument, 12" X 18"

Exhibit panels 21 and 22 of 24: Elk and deer in rutting season. It was fun playing with watercolor throughout this whole project. I work digitally but at times find I can only get what I "need" with good ole' paint.

I used many of my old photos from when I lived in Wyoming as reference (boy, did that come in handy) - I saw mule deer and elk nearly every day out there. 

"Rutting": Hanford Reach National Monument

These exhibit panels (21 and 22 of 24) feature elk and mule deer in rutting season. These panels mimic a naturalist's notebook in style; each panel measures 12" X 18".

Burrowing Owls: Hanford Reach National Monument Exhibit Panel 7 of 24

This is the seventh panel of 24 (12 sets of two) illustrated in a field-journal-style for Hanford Reach National Monument in Washington state. These panels (including the one below, #8) describe Burrowing owls. Visitors can flip through these "books" measuring 12" X 18", before exploring the beautiful and varied terrain in this uniquely-historical area. I was lucky to have numerous photos of burrowing owls from when I lived in south Florida to use as reference. They are super-cool to watch, and the Punta Gorda area had many burrows (at least back in the late 1990's).

Burrowing Owls: Hanford Reach National Monument Exhibit Panel

This is the eighth panel of 24 (12 sets of two) illustrated in a field-journal-style for Hanford Reach in Washington state. This panel describes Burrowing owls' behaviors and dangers from predators like the badger. Visitors can flip through these "books" measuring 12" X 18".

"Zorado Fields" Horse Farm Poster, 12" X 19"

This poster was created from six photos of a California farm including the two horses belonging to the owner. The challenge was to incorporate the horses, the facility (I used the dressage ring), and elements of the surrounding landscape, as well as the landscaping on site, to create an appealing graphic, parts of which could be used in logo creation.

Hanford Reach National Monument Exhibit Panel (1 of 24), 12" X 18""

This is the very first panel of the artist's -journal-style illustrations I did for Hanford Reach National Monument in Washington state. These first two panels describe the importance of pollinators and flowers. It was a fantastic opportunity to re-discover some western species as well as learn some new ones.

Hanford Reach National Monument Exhibit Panel (2 of 24), 12" X 18"

This is the second panel of the Hanford Reach Exhibit. This and the one above feature pollinators and flowers. The illustrations and design are meant o feel like a naturalist's notebook with the sketchy style. Each panel is like two "pages" in an oversized book.

"Beneath Cape Cod Waves", Educational Outreach Poster for IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), 22" X 30"

A very fun poster to illustrate! My home turf and many favorite species. Like the Caribbean poster below, this was a combination of watercolor and digital art. Designing was a challenge - with so many species of all sizes, microscopic to gigantic - to fit in!

"Beneath Caribbean Waves", Education Outreach Poster for IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)

Colorful poster of the Caribbean marine ecosystem.
Original is 22" X 30", created from many watercolor paintings combined digitally into a single file.
Very fun to work on - so colorful and refreshing.

New England Coastal Ecosystem Mural, 6' X 16'

The species here include most of the main characters from our area on the Cape. I will add species at a later date, with detail views. Please click for a larger view! See the mural at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History (Brewster, MA).

The insets include (L to R) Decorator worm, Alewife (or herring) life cycle, and archaeological artifacts that have been found in the uplands. 

Sea Turtles of the Atlantic Exhibit and Mural

I illustrated these four turtle species for an exhibit at New England Aquarium in Boston. Their exhibit panel is life-sized... (the Leatherback itself is 6.5 feet long...). I re-created a mural for myself that is much smaller. This is a removable self-stick mural (so no mounting or framing needed) measuring 12" X 36". It sells for $155 plus shipping (about $10). Email barb@barbaraharmon.com to order!

Food Web Exhibit

This food web panel measures 46" X 46" at the New England Aquarium. The goal is to introduce visitors to the key species - Herring and Sand Lance - that support the entire system: a myriad of species, including whales, birds, and numerous fish species including many we eat. Additional text will be added at the Aquarium to further the concept.

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.

Whales of New England, 17.5' X 35'

This mural was originally done before I switched to digital imagery. It was hand painted in acrylic at a size of 3.5' X 7'. I reworked it digitally by basically repainting it at a much larger scale in Photoshop. It is now available for reuse or as a wall mural at lengths of up to 35'. It depicts some of the cetaceans found in New England waters. The original acrylic hangs in my veterinarian's office behind the reception desk. Thanks John Kelley! Species depicted: Humpback whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Finback whales, Minke whale, North Atlantic Rght whale, Harbor porpoises, Pilot whales, Blue whale, Melon-headed whale, Atlantic White-sided dolphins, Sperm whale.

Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Daytime View, 7' X 10'

This mural is the day version, seen outside the "Night Alcove" (below). It is displayed more for esthetic than educational purposes; the "main event" is really the night version.

Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge Night Mural

This mural is 10 feet wide and 7 feet tall, and was created digitally, for the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (ARNWR, Sudbury, MA). The mural is scheduled to be implemented in July, 2010, with the Center's Grand Opening October 17, 2010.

This mural may look strangely dark, but there is a purpose: as visitors come into the Night Alcove, an audio recording is playing of night sounds in ARNWR. As the audio rolls through different sounds and describes the area and its inhabitants, spotlights will highlight the different animals which are otherwise hidden within the mural. The room is dark and there is a blue light on the mural, helping to simulate a night time scene.

Coyote Mom and Pups, with Eyeshine

As visitors come in they will hear audio of coyotes howling in the distance. The recording points this out and then the spot will shine on the coyote mom. You see her eyes shine (actually the tapetum, a part of the retina), as well as a glimpse of her pups.

Barred Owl and Eyeshine

Barred Owls are quite common here and yet like most owls, nearly impossible to see. More likely is to hear their call, "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?" They will call in the daytime as well as at night, and you might see one hunting before dark.

Bobcat with Eyeshine

I went to see progress this past weekend (I am adding this comment after having posted long ago), and we currently have a debate going on what color Bobcat eyeshine really is. Red or green/yellow? ...Will have to research that.

Screech Owl

Wood Frogs, ARNWR

Fairly close-up, the Wood Frogs. Cute lil' guys, that make a "quack" sound somewhat like a duck.

APALACHICOLA NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE Visitor Center Mural

Awarded BEST IN SHOW with the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, 2010
Awarded BEST IN SHOW/Ralph Sweet Award with the Association of Medical Illustrators, 2010

Seventy-five feet long and seven feet high; four habitats and 185 species.

Each of the two images above represents 38 feet of the mural.

This digital mural will be installed at the new Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve Visitor Center (Apalachicola, FL) in summer 2010. The two BOXES are representative of where live exhibit tanks will go, featuring some of the animals that visitors will see right next to the tanks, in the mural.

The piece is pretty huge, so please browse through the detailed sections below.
Keep scrolling for more detailed images, or go to my website.

Giant Gag Grouper and Short Bigeye

Speckled Hind and Pompano

Bottlenose Dolphins Above, Invertebrates Below

Lightning Whelk, Phyllodocid Worm, Horseshoe Crab, White Shrimp (barely visible), Surf Clam, Sand Dollar.

Diving Pelican

I like this image so I have included two.
The fish here are Gulf Menhaden and Striped Mullet, two favorite food species of Pelicans and other fish.

ANERR Mural, Barrier Beach Section: Willets and Sea Turtle

We found a Sea Turtle shell on the beach. I took a photo of it. I used that shell, even though it was old, discolored, and decaying, as the shell here. Minor Photoshop adjustments, paint the head and limbs, and voila!
Can't do that very often.

Barrier Island Gulf Side

This is the sandy slope from the Gulf of Mexico and inward to the island. Full of Sea Oats and other grasses, the dunes are a very pleasing sight.
For this section the mural felt very constrained, since we had only the space we had, and the actual slope is very long and gradual. I had to force it in order to make it fit.

Here is an American Oystercatcher searching for food (a Mole Crab), as well as Ghost Crabs, Royal Terns, lots of Railroad Vine, Sea Purslane, Sea Rocket and Beach Morning Glory.

Which reminds me... when I was here it was just the most beautiful day and all the flowers were out. The Morning Glories seemed so aptly named.

Barrier Island Community

Countless species live on the barrier islands, in a fairly unique and complicated habitat.

Some of the many plant species I illustrated for this section include Slash Pine, Saw Palmetto, Gallberry, Yaupon Holly, Green Briar Vines, Dwarf Huckleberry, Prickly Pear Cactus, Wax Myrtle, Sweet Bay, Sand Live Oak, Myrtle Oak, Florida Rosemary, Woody Goldenrod, Blazing Star, Conradina Mint, and Saw Palmetto (not all are in this image).

Animals illustrated here include a Ground Dove, Six-Lined Racerunner, Monarch Butterfly, sea turtle eggs, and a Sigmod Cotton Rat.

Barrier Island Community

This image is typical Oak/Rosemary scrub habitat.

Animals illustrated here include: Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Gulf Coast Box Turtle, Gray Catbird, Chuck Will’s Widow, Rufous-sided Towhee, Gulf Fritillary butterfly, American Toad, and Gopher Tortoise.