Shelly Smith

Community scientist, visual artist, microorganism enthusiast, algae admirer, and illustrator of our incredible microbiome.

I make illustrated paintings of microorganisms found in water and soil collected from all over the world. Historical scientific illustration, sentimental designs, and decorative motifs inspire my compositions, re-framing microorganisms as beautiful patterns in the same way flowers, plants, and animals are used in design work. 

My processes include collecting water and soil samples, documenting the place names and locations of the samples, and examining them under a microscope. Working from both live images and photographs, I create microbiological illustrations that reflect the organisms in a drop of water or a snapshot of time. My artwork focuses on connecting microorganisms, particularly microalgae, to our larger biome by making them visible. Whenever possible I include elements of the sample location like earth pigments and forest fire charcoal into my pieces. 

I also experiment with extracting pigments from microscopic organisms like cyanobacteria and algae to create paints used in my work. I source these pigments industrially, collect them from wild sources like harmful algae blooms, and culture organisms in my studio bioreactors. These pigments are converted into watercolors that I use with traditional pigments.

I also regularly run interactive learning sessions and public sci-art programs. I lead sessions for scientists, artists, and the micro-curious to learn more about our shared microbiome through microscopy, science sketch-alongs, and other interactive sessions. I encourage people of all artistic and scientific levels to engage with our microscopic world creatively.