When I started working as an undergraduate research assistant in 2019, Dr. Ann Fraser gave me the opportunity to create some educational signs for our local Arboretum. I think I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed that process, and it helped me to learn the anatomy of our study organisms even more closely. As it turns out, drawing the wing venation of a solitary bee really helps you to identify them! 

Since then, I've expanded beyond flowers and bees to other organisms, and taken to drawing on my iPad to make crisper images ready for scientific presentations and publication.  I'm happy to share any of the below images, please provide credit to me, and email me to access the largest file size. I'm always interested in drawing new subjects, so if you'd like to commission an illustration of your own study species please email me at nicki.bailey@colostate.edu!