Plants & Home

Did you know that selenium deficiency is a thing? 

Up to a billion people around the globe are deficient, not getting enough of this trace element from their diet. This is why we are interested in understanding what controls selenium levels in soils. The atmosphere supplies Se to the soil environment - but where does this initially come from? I loved illustrating this study by Süss et al., (2019), investigating trace element sources using rainwater analyses. The data show that the terrestrial biosphere apparently has much more of an impact than we traditionally thought - at least during the summer. 

source: Elke Suess, Franziska Aemisegger, Jeroen E. Sonke, Michael Sprenger, Heini Wernli and Lenny H. E. Winkel (2019): Marine versus continental sources of iodine and selenium in rainfall at two European high-altitude locations. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b05533

this one’s from France as well, my watercolour study of a beautiful nerium oleander got interrupted by a refreshing summer rain

Arrived safe & sound in Cambridge! America is crazy, but I think we are on good terms. The sheer amount of cookie choices in the supermarket is probably one of the more important reasons for that. 

geoexcursion to Iceland; some very, very precious moments 

I finished my undergrad in the beginning of June and am starting with masters in September, so I am using the summer to travel a bit :) In the next posts I will share some impressions from my drawing diary, this is the first one from a trip to southern France (Frontignan). Hope you´re all having a great summer! 

Baumpilz & Birke im Herbst - watercolour on paper

polypore & birch - it really is fall in Zürich now!

watercolour on paper

Watercolour on paper - Patella Vulgata (the common limpet)

My best friend analyzed rare earth element patterns in a series of shells - including one from the common limpet - for her bachelor thesis, this is an illustration I made for her presentation :)

Loie Fuller - oil on paper