Today is International Whale Shark Day and what a whale of a time I have had over the last two years getting up close and personal with these gentle giants of the sea. I have been so fortunate to be part of the marine research team for the Ningaloo Outlook project, a strategic research partnership between CSIRO and BHP Billiton, which has been tagging Whale Sharks in the Ningaloo Marine Park. You can follow the tracks of the Whale Sharks by logging on here: http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?project_id=1112 Through this project, and my recent work with the University of Southern Queensland and the National Girls Collaborative Project (from USA), I have also had the most amazing opportunity to visit with students and teachers to show STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) in action by using my graphic recording and art – to encourage creative thinking about our BIG ocean issues. Doing ‘shark art’ with primary school kids, sharing tagging technology with high school students and creating BIG MakerSpaces with teachers has to be the best job in the world on this Whale Shark Day!! You can follow my creative journey as Dr Suzie Starfish on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drsuziestarfish/) and @suepillans on Twitter and Instagram.

National Science Week was so full of creative activities for me as I got to graphically record, draw and create BIG MakerSpaces with people! I got this amazing opportunity by working with a couple of inspiring women of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics), Karen Peterson the CEO of the National Girls Collaborative Project in the US and Dr Lindy Orwin of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). My alter ego, Dr Suzie Starfish, facilitated her very own MakerSpace at USQs beautiful Toowoomba campus, with teachers and researchers. The MakerSpace was all about creating BIG thinking for our Living Oceans, by focusing on the biggest shark in the sea, the Whale Shark. The science and technology of tagging Whale Sharks was discussed, along with putting the “A” in STEAM by working with participants to create a life-sized Whale Shark on the glass walls of the MakerSpace! We then discussed ways that science and technology helps protect and manage BIG ocean species and how MakerSpaces could be more girl-friendly when focusing on these BIG STEAM issues. As you can see from the photos there was a lot of BIG FUN and CREATIVITY happening in this MakerSpace for our Living Oceans!

You can follow my creative journey via my alter ego Dr Suzie Starfish on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drsuziestarfish/) and @suepillans on Twitter and Instagram.

I just love hearing the stories of where my marine artworks travel to to find their new homes, whether that be to someone’s office, a kids room or hanging up in people’s homes locally or around the world. These are the latest watercolour sea creatures to be sold! Seeing the looks on people’s faces when they receive my marine artworks as gifts is probably one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as an artist. A great example is the glee shown here from Miss Kubi, a CCRES colleague in the Philippines, with her painted Pistol Shrimp (aka. the loudest shrimp in the sea). I’m hoping to start incorporating some of my artwork techniques into my graphic recording with people as well as using it in my series of kids picture books about the wonders under the sea! So stay tuned for more here soon! You can ‘sea’ more of my marine artworks in my gallery here https://drsuepillans.com/artworks/gallery/ and you can follow my creative journey as Dr Suzie Starfish on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drsuziestarfish/) and @suepillans on Twitter and Instagram.