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Written by Chris Jalufka Photography by Arabela Espinoza laurelpicklum.com Facebook laurelpicklum Instagram laurelpicklum
hen you see the work of San Jose–based artist Laurel Picklum, there is no sense that she was meant to be anything other than a painter of the natural world. Her watercolors, murals, and oil paintings display clarity of vision and meaning. The daughter of scientists, Picklum was raised in a home that inspired exploration. “My parents have always encouraged curiosity and exploration, and I am grateful for that. We would go camping and hiking a lot when I was a kid, and I always brought home dead bugs, bones, or cool rocks I found.” Picklum graduated in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from San Jose State University (SJSU), followed by completing the Certificate in Natural Science Illustration program at the University of Washington in Seattle in 2016. Her path to her current role as a wildlife artist was not quite as direct as it may appear. Entering SJSU as a graphic design major, the allure of painting and printmaking took over. “My path as an artist has really been a manifestation of my indecisiveness. First, I wanted to do design, then I wanted to do gallery work, then I definitely did not want to do gallery work, then I wanted to do purely academic science illustration, then I didn’t.” Picklum’s take on nature aims for scientific accuracy, following the inherent grace and balance of her subjects. Amongst her many works is a watercolor of Cornus canadensis, better known as creeping dogwood. The oval leaves are deeply veined and a healthy green, with the slightest bend in their sturdy skin. At the center sits the white blossom, lifted above the core. The leaves surrounding the blossom mimic the much larger leaves below—a small flower cupped within the shape of the plump 21
