CREATORS – Adrienne DeLoe

In ALL, CREATORS by Alice Fleerackers

Name: Adrienne DeLoe

Which came first in your life, the science or the art?

I honestly think they developed simultaneously. I always loved collecting specimens from nature and observing living things in the environment around me. It was natural for me to start drawing those things and making art from what I collected.

a blue bug, artwork
Mutations Series (2019) by Adrienne DeLoe, real cicada and seed pods
a white insect, artwork
Mutations Series (2019) by Adrienne DeLoe, real cicada and white tusk shells (Dentalium)
black and white insects, artwork
Mutations Series (2019) by Adrienne DeLoe, real crystallized cicadas and porcupine quills

Which sciences relate to your art practice?

I would say the main disciplines that relate to my work are entomology, botany, and chemistry.

green spiky bug, sciart
Mutation Series (2019) by Adrienne DeLoe, real cicada and sea urchin spines
white bug with shell exterior, art
Mutation Series (2019) by Adrienne DeLoe, real cicada and sea shells with fluid acrylic painting

What materials do you use to create your artworks?

I use real insect specimens, as well as bones, plant materials, shells, paint, and clay. My work truly is mixed media.

Artwork/Exhibition you are most proud of:

Probably my latest body of work Mutations, where I created hybrid insect pieces using many different elements from nature. I did this to highlight how humans are altering our environment in irreparable ways that threaten our future on this planet.

pink and green spiky bug, art
Mutation Series (2019) by Adrienne DeLoe, real saw tooth beetle and porcupine quills
Black and white insect, sciart
Mutation Series (2019) by Adrienne DeLoe, real cicada and racoon teeth
spiky green bug, sciart
Mutation Series (2019) by Adrienne DeLoe, real stag beetle and porcupine quills with fluid acrylic painting

Which scientists and/or artists inspire and/or have influenced you?

My earliest influence was Georgia O’Keefe. Her connection to her environment and her obvious love of nature had a profound effect on me. Learning about science was something that I also loved growing up, and I have been so fortunate to be able to practice both of the things that I love in my career.

spiky pink bug, sciart
Mutation Series (2019) by Adrienne DeLoe, real cicada and crab shells with fluid acrylic painting
blue beetle with spikes, artwork
Mutation Series (2019) by Adrienne DeLoe, real stag beetle and porcupine quills with fluid acrylic painting

Is there anything else you want to tell us?

My work has always been and continues to be about the environment—how precious it is and what we stand to lose if we don’t take care of it.

Find out more at Adrienne DeLoe’s website, Facebook, and Instagram.

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About the Author

Alice Fleerackers

Alice is a freelance writer, a researcher at the ScholCommLab, and an editor at the Art the Science blog. With degrees in both psychology and publishing, she is fascinated by the confluence of science and story, and is passionate about bringing research into everyday life. As a journalist, she’s had the pleasure of interviewing media specialists, psychotherapists, anthropologists, and many others on everything from the psychology of cat videos to the “science” of astrology. In her spare time, she rides her bike, dabbles in spoon carving, and—yes—occasionally, reads her horoscope. Twitter: @FleerackersA