Mesa Schumacher
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mesabree.bsky.social
Mesa Schumacher
@mesabree.bsky.social
4.6K followers 1.3K following 400 posts
Science and Medical illustrator, infographic artist.
Professional #sciart nerd.
Writer and kidlit author/illustrator rep. by Sorche Fairbank

MED/SCI: www.mesaschumacher.com
KIDLIT: https://imaginationillustration.mesaschumacher.com
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mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 789: Cayenne caecilian (Typhlonectes compressicauda)

A legless amphibian from South America!
A bit overwhelmed this week, it was nice to escape into this dark texture.

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #caecilian
Realistic illustration of a Cayenne caecilian (Typhlonectes compressicauda), a dark-colored, legless amphibian.
February 10, 2026 at 5:58 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 788: Basketwork eel (Diastobranchus capensis)

A deep water pacific eel with interesting skin! I find my mind escaping to the deep sea more and more these days...

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #sundayfishsketch #oceanart
Realistic illustration of a Basketwork eel (Diastobranchus capensis) on a white background.
February 2, 2026 at 9:38 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 787: Seven-spot archerfish (Toxotes chatareus)

I'll never get over the amazing hunting strategy of this #fish. Shooting water up to 2m to knock insects off vegetation.

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #sundayfishsketch #oceanart
Realistic illustration of a Seven-spot archerfish (Toxotes chatareus), and white-brown fish with black spots, shooting water into the air.
February 1, 2026 at 7:53 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 786: Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina)

I've spotted this bottom-feeder in the Chesapeake Bay. Swims softly but carries a poisonous barbed tail.

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #stingray #oceanart #fish
Realistic illustration of a Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina), a brown ray with a long snout.
January 31, 2026 at 8:27 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
New to my feed?
I began #ProjectAnimalia in 2021, and drew an #animal every day. This year I'm going for 1000.

Follow along for some #animalart escapism...
And let me know if you have requests!

785: Regal moth (Citheronia regalis)

#sciart #dailyart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration
Realistic illustration of a Regal moth (Citheronia regalis), an orange and white moth with striped wings.
January 29, 2026 at 1:38 PM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 784: Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

A marsh and mudflat wader with flamingo-like legs. Their tuxedo plumage has always fascinated me. 🙃

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #birds #birding #birdart
A realistic illustration of a Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), a black and white wading bird with long pink legs.
January 29, 2026 at 3:04 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 783: Volta's electric eel (Electrophorus voltai)

Named for the inventor of the battery, this #ell has the strongest bioelectricity generator known—up to 860 volts.

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #fish #fishart #electriceel
Realistic illustration of Volta's electric eel (Electrophorus voltai), a long dark fish.
January 28, 2026 at 3:59 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 782: Clown triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum)

A day I'm in the ocean is a good day.
Lucky for me, Mauritius has amazing reefs, with residents like this #triggerfish!

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #fish #fishart #snorkling
Realistic illustration of a Clown triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum), a dark oval fish, with white spots on its belly, and yellow and orange markings around its fins.
January 27, 2026 at 5:18 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 781: Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

Happier in the water than the air, here in charismatic summer plumage! They perform a beautiful courtship dance. 💕

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #grebe #birding #birdart
Realistic illustration of a Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), with a baby chick riding on its back.
January 26, 2026 at 4:55 PM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 780: Speartooth shark (Glyphis glyphis)

I'm now back in the rhythm of daily animals, and my creative muscles are feeling stronger.
Here's an extremely rare river shark!

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #shark #sharks
Realistic illustration of a Speartooth shark (Glyphis glyphis), a light gray river shark, on a white background.
January 24, 2026 at 2:59 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 779: Coyote (Canis latrans)

I once met a #coyote while running in the mountains.
We stood on the path staring each other down for about five minutes, then she vanished into the brush.

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart
Realistic illustration of a Coyote (Canis latrans), on a white background.
January 23, 2026 at 5:52 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 778: Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis)

Not entirely finless, but lacking a dorsal fin.
Critically endangered with 1,249 left in 2023.

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #porpoise #whale #whaleart
Realistic illustration of a Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) on a white background.
January 22, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Reposted by Mesa Schumacher
swilua.bsky.social
my student evals in SciComm last semester said I shouldn’t make science so political
davidho.bsky.social David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 29d
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.

www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.
January 21, 2026 at 9:38 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 777: Payara/vampire fish (Monocirrhus polyacanthus)

Another aggressive Amazonian fish! But three feet long and comes with fangs. 😚

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #fishart #vampirefish #payara
Realistic illustration of Payara/vampire fish (Monocirrhus polyacanthus), a silver-green-brown fish with large fangs on the lower jaw.
January 21, 2026 at 9:18 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
Interested... #sciart #medart
dinalab.bsky.social Digital Naturalism Laboratories @dinalab.bsky.social · Jan 17
Remember how I said it is YEAR OF THE MOTH!?

PL Weng put together an awesome list of Moths that you can celebrate each week from February until Moth Week! Think of it as a fun #SciArt Challenge!

Get ready to make this year Mothy!

#moth #teamMoth #YearOfTheMoth
6 months of moths for 2026 Celebrate the Yer of the Moth by Creating Mothy Art every week from Febraury until Moth Week! 0. February 2 - The White Witch (Thysania agrippina) 1. February 9 - Bella Moth (Utetheisa ornatrix) *2. February 16 - Cryptoses choloepi (lives in sloth) 3. February 23 - Luna moth (Actias luna) 4. March 2 - Vampire moth (Calyptra thalictra) 5. March 9 - Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica 6. March 16 - Morgan’s sphinx moth (X. morganii) 7. March 23 - Death’s-head hawkmoth (Acherontia Atropos) 8. March 30 - Heterogynis penella 9. April 6 - The Nonconformist (Lithophane lamda) 10. April 13 - Water veneer (Acentria ephemerella) 11. April 20 - Monopis moth (Monopis laevigella) 12. April 27 - Astronomer Moth (Olethreutes astrologana) 13. May 4 - Police car moth (Gnophaela vermiculata) 14. May 11 - Discrete Chaperon (Cymbalophora pudica) 15. May 18 - Neighbor Moth (Haploa contigua) 16. May 25 - Green Marvel (Acronicta fallax) 17. June 1 - Four o'Clock Moth (Dysphania numana) 18. June 8 - Brahmin Moth, Indonesian owl moth (Brahmaea hearsyi) 19. June 15 - Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) 20. June 22 - Hornet moth (Sesia apiformis) 21. June 29 - Comet moth (Argema mittrei) 22. July 6 - Io moth (Automeris io) 23. July 13 - Rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) 24. July 20 (Start of Moth Week) - Plutodes cyclaria 25. July 21 - Musical mandolin moth (Rileyiana fovea) 26. July 22 - the Somber Carpet (Disclisioprocta stellata) 27. July 23 - Agreeable Tiger Moth (Spilosoma congrua) 28. July 24 - the Dubious Tiger Moth (Spilosoma dubia) 29. July 25 - the Scorched Carpet (Ligdia adustata) 30. July 26 (End of Moth Week) - the Drinker (Euthrix potatoria)
January 20, 2026 at 3:55 PM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 776: Amazon leaffish (Monocirrhus polyacanthus)

It looks and acts liek a dead leaf, flitting harmlessly around—until it extends its long mouth and swiftly inhales its prey!

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #fishart #leaffish
Realistic illustration of an Amazon leaffish (Monocirrhus polyacanthus), a brown and yellow fish on a white background.
January 20, 2026 at 2:52 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 775: Haller's round ray (Urobatis halleri)

A coastal ray that preys on invertebrates near shore.Named after a boy who it once stung on the foot. 😂 Watch out!

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #fishart #rays #fishes #stingray
A realistic illustration of a Haller's round ray (Urobatis halleri), a brown mottled stingray on a white background.
January 19, 2026 at 2:51 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
Oh #portfolioday! Hi. 😋

I'm a #sciart #medart and kidlit illustrator, and I draw a lot of things. But one of my favorite things to create are
unique, complex, accurate, anatomy dissections. I love a puzzle.

These pieces also happen to be real life #jigsaw #puzzles!
January 13, 2026 at 5:58 PM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 774: Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)

This Amazon river #fish deserves an image search, if only to see that it can be over ten feet long, and takes multiple humans to lift.

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #fishart #arapaima #fishes
A realistic drawing of a Arapaima (Arapaima gigas), a large green and red Amazon river fish on a white background.
January 13, 2026 at 4:19 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
My sanity-salvaging resolve for the New Year. Do stuff the hard way.

#sciart #medart #illustration #creativity
2026: The Year of Struggle
On finding meaning in life and art by turning away from easy things
open.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:55 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 773: Three-toed amphiuma (Amphiuma tridactylum)

The "Congo Eel" of the Mississippi flood plain, this #salamander has the largest recorded red blood cells of any animal!

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #amphiuma #amphibian
Realistic illustration of a Three-toed amphiuma (Amphiuma tridactylum), a long brown salamander from North America.
January 9, 2026 at 4:05 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 772: Coral catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus)

An Indo-Pacific catshark. Daytime hider, nighttime hunter.

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #coralcatshark #catshark #sharks
Realistic illustration of a Coral catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus), a slender, marbled shark on a white background.
January 8, 2026 at 4:54 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
Just here in my room. Ssssss-snoozing.
From the #kidlit sketchbook.

#illustration #illustrator #kidlitart #childrensbooks #scbwi #kidlitillustration #dailyart
January 7, 2026 at 8:01 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia 771: Piping plover (Charadrius melodus)

Tiny shorebirds, the size of sparrows. My daughter used to call them "little mice." ☺️

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #birdart #plover #pipingplover #birding
A realistic illustration of a Piping plover (Charadrius melodus) running on a white background.
January 6, 2026 at 10:27 AM
mesabree.bsky.social
#ProjectAnimalia continues.
770: Swollen olive snail (Oliva bulbosa)

A carnivorous marine snail which engulfs prey with its foot and digests it beneath the sand...

#sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #snail
A realistic illustration of a Swollen olive snail (Oliva bulbosa), a brown and white marine mollusc.
January 5, 2026 at 4:23 PM