Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Pelton.
Hi Maggie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up immersed in nature and learned much about wildlife from my father and grandfather, the former of which studied wildlife and fisheries and took our family on many camping trips and hikes, pointing out all the natural history facts along the way, and the latter of which was a career biologist studying black bears in the Smoky Mountains. This instilled in me a love for the natural world, and some of my earliest memories consist of cutting out pictures of animals from Ranger Rick Magazines and even trying my hand at my own Mark-Recapture Survey with box turtles in our backyard (though I did not know the term “Mark-Recapture” and I named all my turtles. Very scientific).
In high school, I attended the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, SC, where I had the opportunity to combine this interest with my love for creating. I am so grateful to my instructors and the opportunities there for growing me as a person and artist. After four years of art classes (including metals, drawing and painting, digital and dark room photography, ceramics, and design), my senior portfolio was centered around the idea of exploring the ways we study, document, and enjoy nature.
Torn between pursuing art and science in college, I landed in the Marine Science program at the University of South Carolina. I grew there in my understanding of the research process and am so grateful for the experiences I had along the way, including an internship with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries working on artificial reefs, a summer working with oyster reefs in Georgetown, SC with the University of South Carolina Baruch Marine Field Lab, and other research experiences culminating in a senior thesis studying the federally threatened Red Knot on the coast of South Carolina. One of my favorite experiences was a season of shorebird fieldwork in Southcentral Alaska after graduating. Not only were these experiences invaluable to me scientifically, but during these experiences my sketchbook often also stayed close at hand as I was inspired to draw by the research and management I was getting to experience.
I am very thankful to still be immersed in research as a Research Technician with the Baruch Marine Field Lab in Georgetown, SC and am growing my business as an artist. As I work on various projects with the lab, I am able to learn about the content and process of research on our coast and hope to bring beauty to the technical nature of science, as well as celebrate the landscape and wildlife in the area through drawing and painting.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A lot of the challenges for me have been internal- I think it’s fairly normal for people to have some amount of trepidation when starting something new, and this has definitely been the case for me. The fear of failure and imposter syndrome are very real, so I am immensely thankful to the people in my life who cheer me on and give me encouragement I need to try new things and keep going (especially my parents who are amazingly supportive of me pressing into art as a career).
One thing that initially proved challenging is that my interests are broad. I enjoy creating art, doing the hands-on work of science, and working with people. Finding a way for these to overlap in a sustainable way has been tricky. However, lately I have realized having these diverse interests is in some ways an asset- to be curious about many facets of life gives lots of inspiration for art and motivation to keep on a less clear-cut path to try to unite the things I am passionate about.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am inspired by the environment and the way we attempt to study, document, and preserve it, particularly through research. I am working as a field technician in Georgetown, SC at the Baruch Marine Field Lab, spending my days waist-deep in pluff mud and measuring fish, crabs, and shrimp, in addition to keeping up with data and lab work. Much of my content is inspired by research that I have been a part of at the Lab and other places, or of research I get to learn about from other scientists. I incorporate data, imagery of fieldwork, landscapes, and even diagrams into my art in an effort to bridge the gap between technical and beautiful. I currently work with mostly watercolor, acrylic, ink, and charcoal, depending on what I am trying to communicate with each piece.
One of the most exciting things for me at the moment is that I have recently had the opportunity to create illustrations for several individuals and an environmental non-profit working towards conservation and helping people enjoy nature. For example, I recently created an illustration of a fish to be used for promotion and merchandise for a festival garnering support for outdoor conservation and education in Alabama. I love that it’s an opportunity to both highlight something beautiful in the outdoors and also contribute to conservation itself. Also, being involved in science as well as art helps me illustrate these with a level of accuracy while also being able to be creative (i.e. I’ve identified enough fish to know what characteristics are key to a species and need special care in illustrating, such as fin ray counts in fish).
Not only do I enjoy being outdoors and creating art, but I love getting to share it with others as well. In recent years I have taught field sketching classes to groups of various ages and skill levels where groups learn how to slow down and observe- an essential skill for both scientists and artists. It’s a joy to share my passion for the outdoors and art in this way!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
In addition to being inspired by the outdoors, my faith is a big part of the reason for what I do. Both science and art are ways to “Think God’s thoughts after him,” as the scientist Johannes Kepler once said. It is such a privilege to work in a field that I love and to be able to create. I never want to take it for granted!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maggiepelton.com
- Instagram: @maggiepeltonart
