12/19/2021

Scientific Renderings for Creative Nonfiction magazine issue 40

Over a decade ago, a writers’ magazine titled Creative Nonfiction printed excellent essays along a different theme with each issue. The magazine was strictly about the written word. But for their upcoming 40th issue, the editors decided to add illustrations to support the essays. They held a contest to choose an artist. To my surprise, I won!

Coelacanth fishes by Michelle Annette Leveille on the cover of Creative Nonfiction magazine issue 40

I was given an entire page to illustrate within the magazine to serve as an introductory page to the essays. I chose to draw a series of developmental stages in the early growth of a human embryo. They don’t look very human. Some people used to believe that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, which is to say that after conception a human develops in a way that resembles our evolution from lower life forms. I used this visual analogy to show our close relationship with other animals, since the essays examined our association with creatures and how it reflects upon our own behavior.

Fertilization and somatigenesis, part of a series of illustrations by Michelle Annette Leveille for Creative Nonfiction magazine issue 40

The best part of the experience of creating the illustrations for the magazine was getting to read the wonderful essays before they were published. All of the brilliantly written works centered on the theme of animals. To make things easy for myself, I simply illustrated every animal mentioned in the texts. The magazine’s graphic designer weaved the copy and my artwork together on the pages.

Animals of the central coast of California, with open mouths, by Michelle Annette Leveille

One essay focused on a man’s experience with wild critters challenging his domestic animals, and his own domesticity. Another documented a woman’s metamorphosis as she encountered the migration of Monarch butterflies. My favorite essay described a woman’s thoughts of dating as she witnessed a run of grunion.

Coelacanth by Michelle Annette Leveille

The most challenging essay to illustrate involved Lazarus species. These are animals believed to be extinct, which are rediscovered, alive, by science. The coelacanth is the classic example. 

The essay also mentioned the Laotian rock rat, a rodent thought gone from this Earth until a scientist found one for sale at a meat market in Laos.

The recent discovery was news to me. I had difficulty finding information about the rat. It was described as a large, pot-bellied, bow-legged, sleepy-eyed rat with a furry tail and a short mohawk.

Laotian rock rat by Michelle Annette Leveille

Soon after I rendered my interpretation of the rat, I saw a video of the animal which had been posted online. I got it right! A scientist involved in the rat’s discovery wrote to thank me for the accurate drawing, too!

The artwork which created the most stir, however, was an anatomical drawing of a centaur. I later found this illustration circulating the internet as reference material for artists and fodder for heated discussion on Reddit.

Superficial anatomy of the centaur by Michelle Annette Leveille

I am grateful to Creative Nonfiction magazine for the opportunity to provide graphic images for their issue #40. I am particularly thankful to Hattie Fletcher and Robyn Coggins (nee Jodlowski). The exposure my artwork gained led to further projects with Pitt Med magazine and doctors with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

By the way, here is my interview that was published with the Creative Nonfiction online issue.

“People are Strangest” interview with Michelle Annette Leveille