Artist

My name is Jenn, and I live with my husband Zack, two cats, German shepherd dog, ball pythons, goldfish, and budgerigars. I received a Bachelor of Science, with Honors, in Zoology from Colorado State University in 2006. During my time at CSU I was involved with field and lab research, as well as volunteer work that included animals such as mountain lions (Puma concolor), honey bees (Apis mellifera), horned lizards (Phrynosoma hernandesi), sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), gray wolves (Canis lupus), and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis).  I also rode for the varsity IHSA (equestrian) team and love horses!  I’m currently in a Ph.D. program for Biological Sciences (Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior) studying the social interactions and transmission of learned behavior in a wild population of American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos).

My time spent studying and interacting with animals has granted me with a strong reverence and appreciation for our natural world which often manifests itself in the form of artwork. I’m a big collector of natural items which I use for natural history and artistic studies that contribute to my illustrations and sculptures. I enjoy paleontological illustration because it’s the ultimate culmination of biological knowledge being put toward the evidence we have of how ancient wildlife lived. The same can be said for why I enjoy drawing fantasy animals, but in the case of fantasy I can create a unique natural history for my organism from scratch. However, I often try to keep a heavy foot in reality when creating fantasy creatures, which I find challenging and fun.

If I’m not watching the crows or teaching a lab, you can expect to find me hanging out with friends, wandering around the forest, taking pictures, drawing, and/or horseback riding.