JOURNAL

Notes from the field, studio and curious places in between.

Observations, work in progress, natural history rabbit holes, expedition stores, ideas and experiences that surface while in the pursuit of creative and curious adventure.

Kirsten Carlson 7/29/25 Kirsten Carlson 7/29/25

Wanderlust | Great White Shark

Here’s a look at some of the artwork featured in my current solo exhibition.

Exhibition | Beyond Illustrating Nature, WANDERLUST
Dates | July 8-Oct 5, 2025
Location | Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, Pacific Grove, California, USA

Great White Shark (GWS) | Carcharodon carcharias

This art is on display at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History through November 5th, 2025. It’s the first art a visitor encounters in the stairwell on the way to the exhibition on the second floor of the museum.

The large business end of the shark is printed at the size of a full grown GWS. Take a selfie and share it with me, please! I have a goal to get 100 smiling sharkie selfies from visitors to the museum.

I had the chance to meet the one and only Peter Benchley (left) and the amazing underwater photographer, David Doubilet. The wonderful gal on my left is Ginger Hopkins, fellow aquarium-ite.

Working on the digital GWS in my office space at Monterey Bay Aquarium, 2004.

I created this illustration for Monterey Bay Aquarium and we broke one of the golden rules of illustration: shrink your art when reproducing it. Instead, we enlarged it 1000%. We blew it up! Figuratively speaking.

I invite you to visit the exhibition at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History in person. Can’t make it to Pacific Grove or past the closing date? Visit the online version of the exhibition. Leave me a comment and let me know which sea creature in which art is your fave!