After moving to New York in early 2018, I was invited to facilitate a workshop through the SciArt Center at Genspace on drawing creatively from microscopes.
My work has always had a biological connection; I find that abstract maps often look like networks of cells or other biological entities, and believe it’s because both “grow” through a relatively emergent process. For more on the connection between maps and biology, check out this 7-minute talk I gave in 2016:
This workshop combined material exploration with drawing creatively from microscopes. From the event page:
Join us for an evening of microscope-gazing and art making! Through a round-robin program of drawing sessions, we will explore the biology of plants and animals; specimens will range from onion cells to live tardigrades. Led by artist Emily Garfield, this workshop will focus on drawing techniques across mediums and approaches to visualizing biology, from illustration to abstraction.
Source
The evening featured an elusive water bear, a fair amount of technical difficulties but also a lot of laid-back exploration and learning. Participants enjoyed getting space to explore the art materials and learn more about working with microscopes.