​Meet the Artists -
Artists have engaged in Drawing Water in a number of ways, from participation in our regional exhibits to art shows at the National Science Foundation or other science venues. This page highlights artists who participated in group shows and workshops.  Artists who have been selected as individual "artists in residence" are listed on our residency page.

Anna Singsaas
In 1991, Ann received her B.A. from Concordia College with majors in Biology, Chemistry and Art. She continued on to studying painting at the University Illinois and Eastern Michigan University. With a micro-studio in Stevens Point Wisconsin, she exhibits in several states and is represented by several Wisconsin galleries. She currently teaches workshops in drawing and painting throughout the Midwest.
I enjoy playing with all the elements of art. Composition, contrast, line, texture, rhythm, repetition, value, form and color contain infinite possibilities and allow me to work on several series simultaneously. Thought different in appearance, each series informs the other. Often a series will start with one of these elements.
Bonnie Peterson
My artwork chronicles my adventures in the wilderness and through life. I use embroidery and stitching to communicate environmental and social issues. The process involves many hours of research into historic documents, maps, journals and scientific research. In this work I present some of the science and context inherent in lake chemistry, climate change and demographics, using an unusual presentation of scientific graphs, dictionary definitions, and representations of limnology concepts.
Jim Ramsdell
The collaboration of artists and scientists for the Drawing Water exhibit gave me a whole new perspective on lakes, their health, and habitats. It truly connected me with the gifts and importance provided by these blue jewels spread throughout the Northland.
Being an environmentalist and wildlife artist, I was especially interested in what we learned about woody debris (habitat) and its importance to the health of lakes and all the creatures who inhabit them.
John Bates
A place is nothing more than a space with a story. My poetry is an attempt to distill and celebrate some of this area’s many stories in the hope that people will feel a deeper reverence for the Northwoods. Because without reverence, without a feeling that all life is genuinely sacred, we, and the Earth, don’t stand much of a chance.
Melinda Schnell
I moved to Wisconsin after my husband introduced me to the Northwoods. We were both living in Chicago and I fell in love with everything about the area, it wasn't long before I started spending most of my time here. My art school education focused on fine art with a graphic art minor, at that time I could never have imagined that underwater landscapes featuring fish would become a theme of my watercolors. Years ago, I was commissioned by a good friend to paint a walleye picture for her husband who is a well known fishing guide. I discovered that watercolor and the subject could not be better suited; that painting set the wheels in motion. I try to use my artistic skills to give the viewer the impression of being underwater, a fleeting glimpse of that other world that lies just below the surface.
Terry Daulton
I have the good fortune to work both as a field biologist and artist. I find inspiration in the lakes and forests of the Northwoods. For "Drawing Water" I created a series of pastel paintings inspired by the poster art of early 1900's artists. In my posters I want to explore the idea of the "invisible present" that Dr. John Magnusun has cited in some of his presentations on lakes and climate change. In thinking about the future of our lakes, I want to encourage citizens to learn more about the complexity of lakes that is often "invisible", and from this basis in the present, to encourage them to consider their hopes for the future of northern lakes and ways that they can make that future more secure.
Jeff Richter
Jeff Richter's journey with film and camera began almost 20 years ago with a walk through Tom Mangelson's gallery in Jackson, Wyoming, that inspired him to take up the camera and teach himself the art and craft of nature photography. Jeff has had hundreds of images appearing in print since then. Sierra Club, Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, NorthWord Press, Brown Trout, Willow Creek, Wisconsin Trails Magazine, Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel and LoonWatch are among the publishers and organizations that have used Jeff's images.
Mary Burns 
Mary Burns expresses her love of northern woodlands and waters in her weavings and writings. An award-winning weaver, her work resides in private homes across the United States. She weaves custom designed hand-woven rugs and wall pieces; she also creates tapestries and felted work. Her newest loom, a Jacquard TC-1 named Nora, allows her to craft her work in even greater detail, vibrancy, and character.
I am influenced greatly by the world around me, from the many shades of green of the northern forests, to the blue moods of Lake Superior, to the pristine Manitowish River that meanders outside my door.
As a fiber artist, I work with textural and visual elements in all of my weavings. Rock art from the Great Lakes Basin to ancient Irish petroglyphs have inspired many of my recent designs. I have interpreted megalithic structures, cultural legends, and Celtic knot work, many of these containing elements of sacred symbols and sites.