today i went to the museum of natural history to draw items from the invertebrate collection.  one of the post doc students who’s been working with the creativity in the arts and science events has organized a series of drawing days.  we’ll be doing birds next.

i felt like i was in the ministry of magic in harry potter, all the rows and rows of jars and lockers of dry specimens.

check out this crazy squid.  the collections manager informed us that there was a 24 foot giant squid in the collection.  unfortunately it was housed off site:)

this slightly blurry image is of a sea cucumber (in ethanol).  i love how the pattern looks like crystalline formation in glaze.

they mentioned that sometimes the pigments in animals is alcohol soluble so it leaches into the ethanol.  i don’t know if this guys purple stripes will leach out but in the mean time it was quite beautiful to see.

love these interlocking patterns.  they are organic and random but they still seem to fit together.

this armadillo was displayed up front.  there were several displayed but this one’s glistening, perfect, pentagon shapes were stunning.

this was my messy drawing of a strawberry urchin.  they actually took them out of the jar for us to draw.  i was able to feel the ends of the protrusions and they were fuzzy!  like flocking!  thanks carrie for pointing this little guy out:)