iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

I've been absent online much of this year, but I'm proud to have my art featured on the cover of Nature this week, showcasing the amazing work of longtime collaborator Sergiu Pasca. Congrats Pasca Lab! www.nature.com/nature/volum... #sciart #medart #illustration #organoids #corticaltransfer

Nature journal cover titled "Cortical Transfer" showing a human cortical brain organoid being transferred into a recipient rodent brain.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Heading home, passing the Snake river in Oregon. Remembered with a quick shotgun #watercolor. 😊 #urbansketch #dailyart #roadtrip #oregon

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Shotgun #watercolor of a New Mexico highway sunset. We're trying to outrun the thunderstorms behind us. #newmexico #dailyart #watercolorsketch #urbansketch

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Making the most of my time riding shotgun across America by reconnecting with watercolor sketching. I'm finding it a great way to charge my creative batteries. #dailyart #watercolor #roadtrip

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

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!

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

#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.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

#ProjectAnimalia continues. 769: Blue spotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma) A beautiful ray, with a dangerous tail. #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #ray

Realistic illustration of a Blue spotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma), a yellow-brown ray, with blue spots and a blue tail.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Hitting the New Year running and throwing myself into making art of various kinds. Deciding to give myself a bit of room to play. :) #illustration #illustrator #kidlit #kidlitart #childrensbooks #scbwi #kidlitillustration #dailyart

A grayscale illustration of a girl running through a town, clutching a package, scattering pigeons.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

#ProjectAnimalia continues. 768:Australian white ibis (Threskiornis moluccus) The legendary Sydney "bin chicken." The urban #birds are climate migrants, moving to cities as their floodplain homes dry up. #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #birdart

Realistic illustration of an Australian white ibis (Threskiornis moluccus), a white ibis with a black beak and head, and black tail feathers.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

2025 has been an elating and depressing year. I made some work I was proud of this year, and some work I was less proud of. Some I can show, some I can't. I learned a lot. I forgot a lot. I often felt left behind. Sometimes that terrified me. Sometimes I felt it might be a good thing... #artvsartist

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 767: Collared brown lemur (Eulemur collaris) Drew a "scratchboard" version of this some years back. Did you know there are over 100 lemur species? #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #lemur #collaredbrownlemur

Realistic illustration of a Collared brown lemur (Eulemur collaris) on a branch.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 766: Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) What can I say about this magnificent creature? Supra-speedway soarer, fence post posturer? I just love them. #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #turkeyvulture #buzzard #vulture

Realistic illustration of a turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), sitting on a perch.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

I'm making a point to sketch more kidlit! I know it's December, but in my heart it's always a little bit Halloween. #illustration #illustrator #kidlit #kidlitart #childrensbooks #scbwi #kidlitillustration #dailyart

Black and white illustration of a boy reading a scroll, with a ghost hovering over him.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 765: Javan deer(Rusa timorensis) I once saw a kid deer play soccer on Java. On Maurititus, they're a beloved invasive species, and feature on the coat of arms. #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #animalart #deer #javandeer

Realistic illustration of a Javan deer(Rusa timorensis) on a white background.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 764: Blue-spotted mudskipper (Boleophthalmus pectinirostris) Watching these guys wallow around mangrove swamps mudflats is something I miss about the Pacific. #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #fishart #fish #mudskipper

Realistic illustration of a Blue-spotted mudskipper (Boleophthalmus pectinirostris), a brown fish with blue spots and a spiny dorsal fin.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 763: Leopard whiprays (Himantura leoparda) An Indo-West Pacific ray which grows 12 ft long, and can have a tail 4 times their body length. #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #fishart #fish #rays #ArtAdventCalendar

Realistic illustration of a Leopard whiprays (Himantura leoparda), a brown ray with leopard print pattern, on a white backgorund.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 762: Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) The #Heron with the widest range. I'd shot a photo of this guy years ago, and I finally drew it! #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #birdart #birds #ArtAdventCalendar

Realistic illustration of a Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) in flight, on a white background.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 761: Sooty grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus) A west coast grouse. The males have two air sacs in the neck for display and to make a hooting call. #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #birdart #birds #birding #ArtAdventCalendar

A realistic illustration of a male Sooty grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus), a black and gray bird, with a fanned tail, and two orange air sacs on its neck.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 760: Narrownose chimera (Harriotta raleighana) More from the deep sea. Chimeras are sometimes called "ghost sharks." They're relatives of sharks and rays. #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #fishart #chimera #ArtAdventCalendar

Realistic illustration of Narrownose chimera (Harriotta raleighana), on a white background.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 759: Marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus) Also called the leopard lungfish, this fish must breathe air to survive. #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #fishart #lungfish #ArtAdventCalendar

A realistic illustration of Marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus), on a white background.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 758: Black panther (Panthera pardus) Actually a #leopard...a "melanistic leopard" where both base and spot pattern of the fur are dark! #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #blackpanther #melanisticleopard #ArtAdventCalendar

Realistic illustration of Black panther (Panthera pardus), an all black leopard on a white background.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

#ProjectAnimalia continues with 757: Spotted tinselfish (Xenolepidichthys dalgleishi) Getting into the holiday spirit with the oddly shaped "tinsel" of the deep sea... #sciart #dailyart #animalart #scientificillustration #medart #illustration #fishart #tinselfish #oceanart #ArtAdventCalendar

Realistic illustration of the Spotted tinselfish (Xenolepidichthys dalgleishi), an angular silver fish with black spots and a long pelvic fin.

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Mesa Schumacher @mesabree.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

‪I really hate being on camera. But making an exception for this happy moment! I illustrated a picture book! RUGGED RAX: THE LITTLE SATELLITE THAT COULD by @suzannelipshaw.bsky.social Available here services.publishing.umich.edu/Books/R/Rugg... #scbwi #kidlit #kidlitart #pbart #sciart #medart

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