• Reading age: 12 to 18

Seen through the pages of an artist’s sketchbook journal, the extraordinary biodiversity in our city comes into view. Exploring Vancouver Naturehoods takes a closer look at nature wherever you find it in our city, whether in a beautiful park, a tree-lined street, your backyard, or a plant poking through a crack in the sidewalk. These are Vancouver’s “naturehoods” – any greenspace in your neighbourhood no matter how big or how small. This local artist uses her sketchbook as an opportunity to discover and explore nature throughout our city and as a portal to connect with community on many levels.

Vicky Earle's profile page

Natural science, medical, and botanical illustrator Vicky Earle delights in connecting people to nature through art. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in medical illustration and biocommunications, Vicky moved to the West Coast and has called Vancouver home for over three decades. She worked in the health care profession for thirty years, and is now dedicated to sharing natural history stories that take place every day all around us. Vicky’s goal is to help foster curiosity and an affinity for the natural world by encouraging people to follow their own art practice. Her preferred medium is watercolour on paper, occasionally using metalpoint and mixed media. She has kept sketchbooks throughout her career and began a dedicated sketchbook journal practice in 2014. Vicky’s work has been part of numerous international juried exhibitions, including Focus on Nature at the New York State Museum. She represented Canada during the Botanical Art Worldwide exhibition, a groundbreaking collaboration between botanical artists, organizations, and global institutions that created and exhibited botanical artworks of native plants found in each of twenty-five participating countries. Vicky is a member of Nature Vancouver, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, the American Society of Botanical Artists, and is a Signature member of the Artists for Conservation. For updates on current projects and artwork, visit her website drawinnature.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @drawinnature.