Painter Jane Kim’s large murals help people connect with nature
COURTESY INK DWELL
Kim finishes a painting of a secretary bird.
As you read, think about why illustrators are important to science research.
What shape are a robin’s feathers? What shade of orange is a monarch butterfly? These are questions that artist Jane Kim thinks about. She paints murals, or wall-sized paintings, of plants and animals.
What shape are a robin’s feathers? What shade of orange is a monarch butterfly? These are questions artist Jane Kim thinks about. She paints murals, or wall-sized paintings. Her paintings are of plants and animals.
COURTESY INK DWELL
Jane Kim
Kim’s most famous project is a two-story mural called The Wall of Birds in the visitor center at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York. Kim was invited to create the mural during an internship at the Cornell Lab in 2014. The painting celebrates the world’s variety of birds and includes more than 240 bird species! It took Kim almost three years to finish.
Kim also creates eye-catching outdoor murals of animals that migrate, or travel long distances at regular times of the year. She paints each species in several places along its migration path, which can span hundreds of miles. Kim recently spoke to SuperScience about her art.
Kim’s most famous project is a two-story mural. It’s called The Wall of Birds. It’s at the visitor center of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York. Kim was asked to create the mural in 2014. The painting celebrates the world’s many birds. It includes more than 240 species! The painting took Kim almost three years to finish it.
Kim also creates eye-catching outdoor murals. They’re of animals that migrate. That means they travel long distances at regular times of the year. Kim paints each species in several places along its migration path. This path can span hundreds of miles. Kim recently spoke to SuperScience about her art.
What led you to become an artist?
COURTESY INK DWELL
Magpie goose
I was obsessed with plants and animals as a kid. I also did a lot of art projects. In high school, I took drawing and sculpture classes. I decided I wanted to go to art school.
In art school, I experimented with different subjects. I took some classes in scientific illustration, a type of drawing that communicates science concepts. I realized I wanted to make large-scale art in places where many people could see it.
I was crazy about plants and animals as a kid. I also did a lot of art projects. I took drawing and sculpture classes in high school. I decided I wanted to go to art school.
I tried different subjects in art school. I took some classes in scientific illustration. It’s a type of drawing that explains science concepts. I realized I wanted to make large-scale art. I wanted it to be places where many people could see it.
How did you make The Wall of Birds?
COURTESY INK DWELL
Gouldian finches
The lab gave me a list of bird species to include. I started by researching what each one looked like. I looked at photos and watched videos. I also studied birds in natural history museums.
Next, I sketched each bird on paper. Scientists looked at the sketches. They gave me feedback. I revised each sketch until it looked right. I scanned it into a computer. Then I printed a life-sized version. The ostrich printout was 2.7 meters (9 feet) tall!
A team of artists helped me. We traced the drawings onto the wall. I chose base colors for each bird. Other artists filled them in. Then I painted the details.
The lab gave me a list of bird species to include. I started by researching what each one looked like. I looked at photos and watched videos. I also studied birds in natural history museums.
Next, I sketched each bird on paper. A scientist looked at the sketches and gave me feedback. I revised each sketch until it looked right. I scanned it into a computer and printed a life-sized version. The ostrich printout was 2.7 meters (9 feet) tall!
A team of artists helped me trace the drawings onto the wall. They filled in the base colors that I’d chosen for each bird. Then I painted the details.
What has been a challenge in your work?
A lot of planning goes into a mural, but you can’t plan for everything. I painted an outdoor mural of migrating butterflies in Orlando, Florida, in February. It’s usually sunny there, but that winter was wet and cold. It was so humid that the paint wouldn’t stick to the wall! We had to wait until the weather changed. I learned to be flexible after that.
A lot of planning goes into a mural. But you can’t plan for everything. I painted an outdoor mural in February in Orlando, Florida. It shows migrating butterflies. It’s usually sunny in Florida. But that winter was wet and cold. The paint wouldn’t stick to the wall! We had to wait until the weather changed. I learned to be flexible after that.
COURTESY INK DWELL
Kim paints a 3,500-square-foot mural of monarch butterflies in Orlando, Florida.
What do you hope people take away from your art?
I want my art to help people see that we’re all connected to the natural world. People tell me they pay more attention to plants or animals after seeing my murals. If my work makes people care about nature, I consider that a win.
I want my art to help people see that we’re all connected to the natural world. People tell me they pay more attention to plants or animals after seeing my murals. I think it’s a win if my work makes people care about nature.
