Erin O’Connell is an artist and illustrator living in St. Louis, MO. She holds a BA in Biology: Ecology with a minor in Studio Art from Loyola University Chicago, and an MS in Biology from University of Minnesota – Duluth, where she studied the physiology of invasive plants.

Erin is interested in the intersection of art and science. Both disciplines strive to understand and interpret the world around us and therefore require astute attention to detail, keen observational skills, and creative problem-solving. Science abounds in the world of art, from the glaze chemistry of a copper-based green glaze to the physics of light reflecting and enabling us to see color. Likewise, art is indispensable to science as a communication tool in translating scientific concepts and raising awareness about environmental issues.

Erin’s artwork unites these two disciplines with organismal depictions and biological illustrations highlighting topics such as invasive species and conservation efforts. Her artwork relies on high contrast, between light and dark, in carved relief on ceramic surfaces, and in juxtaposed imagery, to convey these ideas.