The Art of Seeing

The remarkable diversity of California’s native plant and animal species was celebrated in The Art of Seeing: Nature Revealed Through Illustration, at the Oakland Museum of California. The triennial juried exhibition showcased the centuries-old craft of botanical and wildlife illustration, rendered in pen and ink, watercolor, gouache, oil, acrylic, pastels, graphite, textiles, and sculpture.

The Art of Seeing demonstrates that high-quality scientific illustration and wildlife art can bring California species to life in a new way for the observer as seen through the artist’s eye. Biological illustration can also provide more clarity to plant and animal anatomy than photography. The exhibition also revealed the techniques of biological illustration by presenting the artists’ reference materials, tools, and field sketches.