Drawing Water Residency
Drawing Water Residency
Drawing Water is an artist residency at the Trout Lake Research Station in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin. This field station is operated by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology Research. Located in Wisconsin’s Northern Highland Lake District, Trout Lake Station has access to a wide variety of aquatic ecosystems in the surrounding area.
Crystal Bog | 20”H x 30”W | Gouache
Crystal Bog was my favorite place to explore at the Trout Lake Research Station. I wore knee-high boots and mosquito netting to explore the spongy mats of Sphagnum moss in search of the specialized plant life found in a bog. In this low-nutrient environment, carnivorous plants such as Pitcher Plants and Roundleaf Sundew exist. Other plants encountered: Labrador Tea, Leatherleaf, Cranberries, Bog Laurel, and Bog Rosemary. Tamarack and Black Spruce lined the edge of the bog’s clearing.
Zooplankton of the Great Lakes | Digital
A highlight of my residency was learning to cast a plankton net and viewing my catch under a microscope! Tiny underwater creatures called zooplankton may escape casual notice, but they are a vital part of the aquatic food web. This illustration identifies some of the zooplankton species common to Wisconsin waters.
Dock on Trout Lake
Trout Lake is a year-round station. On-site cabins have electricity and running water— and are within earshot of the loons calling out on the Lake. I was able to borrow a station canoe to paddle Trout Lake and nearby Allequash Lake.