Coryell-Martin
has a unique way of working that allows her to travel, paint, and educate (really,
what could be better?!). Self-described as an expeditionary artist,
Coryell-Martin works both in the studio and in the field. She collaborates with
scientists and focuses her art on environmental issues and the natural
landscape.
Since
2005, Coryell-Martin’s work has focused on the arctic region, a place suffering
acutely from climate change. Her watercolors are as frigid as the ice burgs they
represent, while her migrating terns invoke the freedom that only soaring high
above the land and ocean from the north pole to the south can.
In
many ways, Coryell-Martin works like a naturalist. She travels to a study site,
she observes her subject, she records what she experiences through multimedia
recordings and field sketches, and then she reports and presents her findings
to a larger audience through exhibitions of her work and educational workshops.
More
specifically than a naturalist ilk, Coryell-Martin’s work is about science. Her
work is about scientific research, representing the people who do science and
the tools used in research. The scientific process comes to life through her
art, there for the viewer, and/or the reader of her blog to learn about, and
experience. This artistic focus on the act of doing science sets her apart in
an important way from other “nature” artists who also paint beautiful
landscapes and wildlife. Coryell-Martin is advocating for the climate. She is
an activist raising awareness about environmental issues and the scientists
that are studying them to work towards a better understanding of threats and
solutions for a healthy future.
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| Maria Coryell-Martin working in the field. I can't imagine a better office! |
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| Her field kit. |
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Following the Light: Dusk
24" x 24"
watercolor & gouache
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