Debut. I published my first editorial illustration (cartoon?) this month in Arnolda, the quarterly magazine of the Arnold Arboretum. In their own words, “Arnoldia explores knowledge, experience, and imagination wherever they entangle with the nature of trees.” The illustration was a collaboration with Editor Matthew Battles and developed in response to the piece, A New Way for the Norway Maple, by OSU’s Ryan Contreras, about his work to develop low-fecundity Norway and Amur maples to limit their invasiveness. He writes about how difficult it is to sell the idea, because many states have regulations against planting such trees (blame the Callery pear, which was allegedly sterile). The challenge seems to be an issue of branding, identity, and communication. Enter the editorialized tree guard.

In Arnoldia’s own words, “For more than 110 years, Arnoldia has been exploring the nature of trees. First established in 1911 as the Bulletin of Popular Information, the Arnold Arboretum's quarterly magazine has long been the definitive forum for conversations about temperate woody plants and their landscapes. Contributors tell stories of plant exploration, offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of botanical research, and dig into archives to explore the history of gardens, landscapes, and science. Expanding in scope to encompass poetry, visual art, and literary essays, Arnoldia follows knowledge, experience, and imagination wherever they entangle with trees.” Learn more about here: https://arboretum.harvard.edu/arnoldia/

Also, I have to thank UO BLA student Evan Kwiecien for assisting me with the illustration research and development.