at least that's what we say we are doin'

found on Quotenik, my new favorite thing:

“Even the hardest of the sciences depend on a foundation of metaphors. To be aware of metaphors is to be humbled by the complexity of the world, to realize that deep in the undercurrents of thought there are thousands of lenses popping up between us and the world’” 

—David Brooks

the sky grows dark (if you're looking up)

"Please use one word to describe yourself" 

"What word would others use to describe you?"

I had a job interview last week. It was over the phone. I'd never really thought about it before but without the personal contact I felt the extreme strangeness of the situation... boiling yourself down to a few phrases and events and presenting it in a way that you think might make someone else interested... it's absurd.

I realized that these two phrases are a nice example of what I'm interested in and where my work comes from. The answers to these questions both successfully communicate something and fail to really say anything. They highlight this tension that I find so fascinating and the way we bridge the gap between us and other. We try and try and try and sometimes it works out. It's just so beautifully human.

Though, I'm not really expecting a call back any time soon. 

I used the word "determined"

i would show you off like a trophy

I've got the itch: I want some new clothes! In order to save our bank account now and in the future, I decided to get back into the habit of altering clothes and making my own stuff-- first stop: cyanotypes! Following this tutorial, I hope to print something like the things above on some scarves or maybe even a T-shirt if I decide to make my own. 

Something else: there's this new book you can win on Design*Sponge and it's filled with nature drawings like the one above (right). Enjoy!

If you've never tried making a cyanotype yourself, give it a shot! It's always a blast.

the state I am in

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am perpetually nervous about the significant influence my scientific studies have on my art. As a firm believer that natural phenomena are beautiful in their own right, I struggle with how often I appropriate these naturally arresting images.. and yet I'm continually drawn to them as aids in dissecting less concrete phenotypes. Relationships seen in nature can be immensely useful, insightful, and powerful. I seek to harness those qualities, adding to the inherent beauty and progressing toward greater understanding.

Currently, I'm obsessed with chick embryos in culture

Image taken from Rita Levi-Montalcini's nobel lecture.