Art in the service of Science
A Relaxed Resumé:
In her first incarnation as Margaret C. Nelson, PhD, Margy Nelson received degrees from Swarthmore (BA) and the University of Pennsylvania (MA. PhD). In the following 15 years she did postdoctoral research at Tufts University and the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School; she taught at Brandeis and Cornell; and published on topics in insect behavior and neuroethology before swerving onto another course and morphing into a scientific illustrator.
In that incarnation, she has worked for 20 years so far under the business name of Rumford Graphics. She has illustrated numerous scientific articles and theses, and a number of books. Among the books that contain her art are Knots, by Alexei Sossinsky; Wisdom of the Hive, by Thomas Seeley; Cognition and Evolution of Behavior, by Sara Shettleworth; Tree of Origin, ed. Frans De Waal; Galileo's Pendulum, by Roger Newton; For the Love of Insects, by Thomas Eisner; Synch, the Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order, by Steven Strogatz;; Genes in Conflict, by Austin Burt and Robert Trivers; and (in prep.) The Superorganism, by E. O. Wilson and Bert Hölldobler..
Besides her scientific illustration, Margy follows two other paths: she creates watercolors and fine art prints, often inspired by her scientific art; and she creates three-dimensional fabric art pieces. Under the name Chumley’s Tchotchkies she designs patterns for sewers interested in “quilting in the third dimension”.
Though trying to keep her footing on all these paths simultaneously sometimes makes her feel like an addled centipede, she is having a great time and hopes to continue mapping new territory!
Margy is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, the State of the Art Gallery, and the Ithaca Textile Arts Guild. Her work has shown locally at the State of the Art Gallery, the Upstairs Gallery, the Ithaca Gallery, and the Tompkins County Public Library.
Here is a sampling of Margy Nelson's recent scientific art.
All images on this site are copyright protected and may not be reused.
Botanical plate: Hasseltia allenii
Jumping Spider Courtship Sounds
Pendulum: Anchor escapement
chaotic waterwheel
