Laurel Sundberg is a professional artist and naturalist in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. She also does sports like riding bikes off-road and on gravel, Nordic skiing, and falling off paddleboards into lakes.
Here's a compilation of my works so far this year. This includes many of my plein air paintings and sketchbook entries from travel. Not every doodle, but quite a few of my paintings are in here. Most of my paintings are in oil, but there are a few in acrylic, casein and watercolor.
In the early 1950s, little was known about the winter whereabouts of a charismatic orange and black butterfly known as the monarch. Soon, scientists discovered that monarchs from the west and east coast overwintered at roosting sites along their respective coasts. Where monarchs from the central United States and Canada went was still a mystery, though.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Image courtesy of Erin Korsmo
A biology student named Fred Urquhart had been intrigued by insects since he was a boy. While studying entomology at the University of Toronto, he became fascinated by the monarch.
In the late 1930s, he became a professor at his alma mater and dedicated his research to unearthing the migratory route of the central North American monarch.
Dr. Urquhart explored areas with known overwintering populations looking for clues. He investigated reports of monarchs in south Texas, but it was unclear where these butterflies came from.
TAGGING RESEARCH BEGINS
Urquhart’s research started using tags to help scientists track the locations and movements of individual butterflies. Prototypes were tested; incisions, dyes, painted letters, and numbers were all unsuccessful.
What did work was a tiny paper dot with price tag adhesive connected to the hindwing of a monarch.
Urquhart built a network of researchers, naturalists, and observers across North America and Mexico. Observers in central Mexico had sightings of monarchs, but no tagged monarchs had been found yet and the full scope of the migration was still unknown.
A CONNECTION TO LOWRY NATURE CENTER
In the 1970s, a Minnesota naturalist was developing a burgeoning curiosity about monarchs. Jim Gilbert was working as a naturalist for Lowry Nature Center, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and Hopkins School District.
He was intrigued by Urquhart’s research, particularly the monarch tagging program. Gilbert had lots of experience with this insect and figured he and his students could significantly contribute.
Mr. Gilbert wrote to Urquhart asking to participate, but his request was initially denied. Citizen science is by no means a new concept today, but it was in its infancy in the 1970s. Dr. Urquhart was concerned about the quality of the information Gilbert could submit.
Thankfully, Gilbert was persistent. He wrote a second request detailing his years of research experience and Urquhart agreed to train him in tagging monarchs.
TAGGING IN THE TWIN CITIES BEGINS
Gilbert received tags and began tagging. While leading students in insect study, they tagged monarchs whenever they could. Catch-and-release occurred at the Hopkins School District, Lowry Nature Center and Carver Park Reserve, and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
On September 6, 1975, a school group visited Gilbert just down the road from Carver Park Reserve at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Gilbert recorded roughly 100 monarchs that were tagged during an insect survey that day.
One of those monarchs was about to make a very long journey.
FINDING THE MONARCHS
Dr. Urquhart retired from his university tenure in the mid-1970s. But he remained dedicated to monarch research, still searching for the migratory destination of central North American monarchs.
Urquhart was in contact with Kenneth Brugger, a naturalist living in Mexico. Brugger was eager to contribute by searching far and wide for the monarch’s wintering whereabouts.
In late 1975, Brugger spotted millions of monarchs at high elevations while crossing Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountain range. He excitedly called Urquhart and shared what he saw on the few isolated mountain peaks 10,000 feet above sea level.
SOLVING THE MYSTERY
In January 1976, an ailing Dr. Urquhart made a visit to central Mexico. The trip’s goal was to meet with Brugger and observe monarchs in the Sierra Madre. Urquhart hoped to confirm this as the overwintering site.
Urquhart and his wife trekked up a 10,000-foot mountain to observe the monarchs firsthand.
And while viewing millions of butterflies, they found one with a tag.
The tag read PS 397, which was placed by naturalist Jim Gilbert and one of his students at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on that September day in 1975.
From Minnesota to the mountains of central Mexico 2,000 miles away, Urquhart was elated to finally uncover proof of the vast migration made by the monarch butterfly.
MONARCH MIGRATION: AN EARLY CITIZEN SCIENCE STORY
Imagine if Urquhart hadn’t continued his research. Or if he hadn’t developed that network of observers and experts in Mexico. Or if Jim Gilbert had not persisted in becoming a citizen science contributor.
Subtle factors, persistence and people working across borders all came together to finally reveal the mystery of the monarch. And thanks to the tag placed by Jim Gilbert’s student on that September day, Minnesota occupies an important place in the history of monarch research.
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
Today, contributions from people like you allow us to make progress in understanding how nature works and to help protect these special butterflies.
Check out this blog post from last July to learn more about the monarch butterfly. Participate in an upcoming monarch tagging program to continue the important research started by Urquhart. Use smartphone apps like iNaturalist to document what you find when exploring outdoors. Volunteer to survey the diversity of animals (including monarchs), collect seeds to help with prairie restorations, help with invasive species removals, and more.
Simply learning, appreciating, and sharing makes all the difference in the world.
NATURE’S CLASSROOM FOR 50 YEARS
In 2019, Lowry Nature Center celebrates 50 years. Watch for special events throughout the year, plus additional blog posts on the legacy from the past 50 years and dreams for the next 50!
About the Author
Laurel Sundberg is an Interpretive Naturalist at Lowry Nature Center. She has 17 years of experience in natural history, outdoor recreation and experiential education. She is currently working on research projects about pollinators and dragonflies. Outside of work, Laurel is a stand-up paddleboard and Nordic ski enthusiast and can frequently be found hauling an easel around to oil paint landscapes.
Oil paints get blamed for causing allergies and chemical sensitivities. Although toxic, its usually not because of the pigment, or the linseed oil suspending the pigment. It's the solvents. So, what's the deal with solvents?
Traditional solvent, what we can turpentine, was historically refined from pine resin. Turpentine (turp) now is made from petroleum products and contains all the lovely VOCs you associate with filling up your car at the gas pump. Bring that in the studio? Not a good idea!
Most studios, art programs, and classes wisely require that you use OMS (odorless mineral spirits), to cut down on the exposure to VOCs. I use Gamsol, a very low VOC, high quality solvent by Gamblin.This helps but doesn't completely solve the problem. While you may not be smelling the solvent, it is still volatilizing, and of course being absorb from your wiping rags into your skin. It's no wonder lifelong artists develop some weird health concerns and sensitivities.
Some artists are extremely careful, wear gloves, and make sure their solvent is always covered when not in use. Or they have an offsite studio. I tried, but still felt icky about being exposed to these solvents. There's just no way for me to "solvent proof" my artistic process. My studio is either outdoors or in my home.
I plan to paint for a long time. I began exploring other options that would keep my home studio as safe as possible, and not expose me to unnecessary risk. Time and again I came back to water-mixable oil paint. I've committed to learning to use this medium as it is better for me, my studio, and the earth.
I began adding water mixable oils to my collection back in 2014. I thought they were a great idea for travel because I didn't need to buy solvent at my destination. I debated switching over, but was hesitant due to cost. Last winter I watched 2 of my studio buddies deal with new chemical sensitivities while studying in their full time art programs. That's when I finally made the jump.
I've been painting solvent free since spring of 2018! I'm learning lots, and not only am I extremely happy with the results, it's made my plein air set up more streamlined. Gone are the days of finding my turp has dumped all over my backpack or car. I carry water whenever I'm out. I simply refill my brush washer from my water bottle. (I bring my used water back to the studio for proper disposal.) While water-mixable oils have their quirks, they are vastly more similar to traditional oil color than different.
I'm able to create washes easily, work wet into wet, and really enjoy working impasto in this medium! Glazes can be achieved using special mediums for water mixable oils. Just make sure that painting is dry before glazing.
I need to give a shout out to artist Lori McNee, whose blog www.finearttips.com has helped fill in knowledge gaps while learning this new medium. I think water mixable oils are a fantastic, underrated medium. I'm so happy I made the switch. I'm still learning new methods and always will be. But I'm confident I made a big change for the better! My studio is healthier for me, my family, and the earth! I hope this change means I have many years of happy, healthy art-making ahead.
Thanks for reading,
-Laurel
Got questions about going solvent free? Water mixable oils? Send me a comment.
I wanted to do a comparison of my work now to that of a couple of years ago. On the left is my painting from this weekend. I painted a stately old oak tree. I only had an hour, a window of time that previously would've been too short for me to get anything accomplished. I'm glad I did! I've biked, hiked, and skied by this oak many times, and have always wanted to paint it. Although it's a small painting, I definitely get a feel for the day, the weather, mood, etc. Hopefully I'll get many more studies of this oak and its moods through the seasons.
At right is a painting from two summers ago. It's a little larger, but summer gives me a more relaxed time to get paint onto the panel. Size and season may vary, but they're both fairly typical paintings from my experiences outside. Each had their share of challenges and each were painted on the same easel, with the same brushes.
In my mind that's where the similarities end! I think my current work is more lively even on a dull, cloudy day. I enjoy the color notes I got from the barn, but I think know if I tackled that same subject now, I would create something completely different. And that makes me happy! How many areas in life to we get to see a record of our growth? Not many. This makes me happy to chase paintings.
I appreciate where I've been. Without taking on the challenge of the old barn, I wouldn't be where I am now.
I joke about painting being a life sport. It takes ages of time (for me at least), patience (an area that's been slow for me to develop!), and a willingness to both accept where you are, but still be critical enough to know where you want to improve. Not mean, but just an eye looking out for where you want to go. I hope in another couple of years to look back on my current work and feel the same way. Grateful for the experience, and happy that it's leading me to improve.
What do you think? Do you have areas in life like this? Have a different idea of which painting is better?
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