Ren Slagel

a 4 by 4 grid of insects that has a metallic grreen tiger beetle, a teal and black speckled sharpshooter with a yellow underbelly, a reddish brown stag beetle, and handsome meadow katydid, with the following words superimposed "Call for mural walls! we're making 3 10x10ft murals about philly's bugs. submit your walls at bit.ly/bugwalls

Hey Philly!

I need your help finding 3 walls for 10x10ft murals this fall all about the most charismatic bugs in the city.

Each mural must be in a different neighborhood, so we have to cast this net as wide as possible.

Please help us spread the word!

Submit your wall at bit.ly/bugwalls

I went to the Small Museum Association Conference this year! I had such an amazing time and met so many wonderful museum professionals! It was a packed day with opportunities for small group networking, great presentations, a trip to the York County History Center, and even trivia!

SCIENCE IRL: SciComm mini-grant 2026 Skype a Scientist is offering $300-$1,000 mini-grants to support boots-on-the-ground science communication. The Science IRL mini-grants will support projects that put either 1) important science mess...

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Attention science communicators!
🚨🚨🚨

The 2026 Science IRL mini-grant application is NOW OPEN!

Submit your creative ideas for connecting people with actionable science information *offline*.

The deadline for this round of grants is March 23, 2026.

Apply here!
forms.gle/4emvpRPddmEt...

colored pencil sketches of mammals

Sketchbook spread from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philly :)

#sketchbook #sciart

BiodiversiTEASE: an Earth Day Cabaret Skype a Scientist & HoneyReno productions presents a night of education, entertainment, & community connections for the love of the planet

I know earth day is far away. However. I need something to look forward to right now & putting on a show with a bunch of hot babes talking about biodiversity is that light at the end of the tunnel I’m holding onto right now.

You should hold onto it too.

Get tix here:
Biodiversitease.eventbrite.com

The next bee in my paint all the bees native to PA series! Does anyone know which species it is?

I went to the Central Park Zoo recently and had a great time! I was really impressed with everything they were able to do with their limited space.

#sketchbook #zoo

Grid layout with artist photo in the middle and natural science illustrations surrounding.

Art vs Artist 2025! This year was huge for me, I worked on my first freelance project, completed a six month internship with the Please Touch Museum, received a fellowship for a professional mentorship, learned how to 3D model and animate, and started my final year as an undergrad student.

I'll be at Gather256 in York, PA for #smallbusinesssaturday today!

With the goal of reaching new ppl w/biodiversity action, we're expanding the Native Plant Project to bars. We're calling it Biodiversity Beers.

In collab w/artists Marian Bailey, @hanfranstudio.bsky.social, & @the666cat.bsky.social, we're making pint glasses that encourage planting of native 🌱

A few pages from my sketchbook recently

Ren Slagel Illustration

Hi! My name's Ren and I'm a scientific illustrator with a passion for accessible educational materials.

Check out my portfolio here ⬇️
renslagel.com

Are you inspired by the mysteries of the deep? We're launching a new initiative ArtSea Matchmaking that pairs artists and scientists for creative collaborations rooted in deep-sea science. Together, you'll co-create compelling work that bridges disciplines and reaches wider audiences through exhibitions and outreach.

🎨🔬 CALLING ALL ARTISTS & DEEP-SEA SCIENTISTS!

💡 Open to ALL artists & scientists

🗓 Deadline: August 31

📍 Apply via the short form in our bio / link below!

🔗 forms.gle/SftLbez3ML2j...

I'd love to offer my art skills! This seems like an awesome project.

I'm going to be at Bug Fest as vendor! This is gonna be a really cool event with lots of bug themed art and activities to enjoy. The best part? The market part of the event is outside so no ticket required!

#phillyart #philadelphia #bugs

Scene from Jordan Pond in Acadia. One of my favorite sketches from the trip.

#sketchbook #pleinair

Quick brush pen sketch of the BNB I stayed at in Maine.

#sketchbook #pleinair

I went to Maine! I'll be posting some of my fav sketchbook spreads over the next week. This is from the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point in Maine.

#sciart #sketchbook #watercolor #pleinair

Watercolor sketchbook study of a Plains Bison

#sciart #watercolor

Today is World Biodiversity Day and I want to share some of PA's diverse pollinators. I created this interpretive design to educate visitors about the abundance of pollinators in PA. Creating an interpretive board like this is of my dream career projects! Who's your favorite?

#sciart #PA

Does anyone recognize this species? It's the dobsonfly and its larvae called a hellgrammite. These are always such a fun find during a stream study both because they are so cool and because they are an indicator of stream health.

Outdoor art show at a native plant nursery

There is a tiny art show at the nursery this week. Thanks to all of you who submitted art for the seed packet art contest!
#seedpacketart #nativeplants #panativeplants

Mycelium is the basis of fungi and incredibly mysterious. I illustrated this as a representation of the relationship between mycelium and trees (and everything else in the soil).

#fungus #sciart #mushrooms #mycelium

sketchbook page with colored pencil giant isopod and lubber grasshopper drawings

This is a sketchbook page from when I visited Cincinnati over the summer. I 100% recommend visiting Newport Aquarium, it is a super cool place.

#sciart #NewportAquarium

There is nothing common about the common octopus! Nine brains? No wonder they are so smart.

#SciArt #sciart #octopus

I created this guide for a younger age group to understand the differences between predators and prey animals. I had the idea to illustrate it as if it were part of a kid's science magazine. Formatting all of the text was a fun challenge.

#sciart #illustration #infographic

Full color spotted salamander life cycle, including egg mass to adult stages

I colorized my Spotted Salamander Life-Cycle illustration!

#salamander #sciart #illustration

Pencil drawing of a small octopus specimen in a tiny sketchbook.

I went to the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca today and sketched this octopus specimen! It was a great way to spend a rainy day.

#sciart #octopus #sketchbook

Colorized Boletes! I had such a fun time doing this guide, I definitely want to illustrate more mushrooms soon.

#sciart #mushrooms #boletes

greyscale illustration of bolete mushrooms

Greyscale boletes!

#sciart #mushrooms #illustration