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Translating Human Anatomy into Fine Art

with inspiration from nature, medicine, research and more

"The Fabric of Life" is a painting of both the anatomy of the pituitary (hypophysis) as well as the physiology of it.	acrylic on wood panel 12" x 24" This painting was commissioned by a family to surprise their son on match day as he furthers his medical training in Ear Nose Throat, (Otolaryngology). The piece depicts a cross section of the cochlea (ear), the ethmoid bone, anterior view (nose) and the trachea, anterior view (throat). It is a free flowing, playful and vibrant piece that is balanced with subtle seriousness via the disembodied anatomy and a the darker lines holding everything steady.	"Illumination" is a skull base painting inspired by stained glass windows from medieval churches. The windows can be thought of as allowing light in to illuminate the anatomy and pathology. It is also meant to represent the the dedication and commitment given to this highly inspiring practice and lifestyle of surgical medicine.
Commissioned by a facial plastic surgeon, this rhinoplasty piece is fashioned after the art nouveau art popularized by Gustav Klimt and Alphonse Mucha. There is a lot to discover in this painting. Each corner contains profiles of lateral anatomy framing the frontal view of nasal bone/cartilage. The circles top to bottom are 1. Nautilus representing the golden ratio 2. Alar cartilage 3. Ram/Aries 4. Deviated septum rosette with turbinates 5. Art nouveau butterfly wings for metamorphosis	Acrylic on Canvas 32"x 48" This painting is based on an echocardiogram in the parasternal long axis view. While investigating this topic I came across some images of the Heart Nebula captured by the Hubble Telescope. Combining the two images struck me as the perfect blend of symbolism and imagery.	Acrylic on Canvas 36" x 24" Oculoplastics collage from various perspectives. Facing the viewer is the dark pupil at the bottom. Contained within is diagnositic imagery from a retinal scan. Around the pupil is a brown tinted iris extending out into the rest of the image intertwined with arteries, nerves and sinewy blue muscles which are shown from above as a horizontal cut of the orbit area. On the left are the ethmoid sinuses and to the right a small section of the sphenoid bone.
Acrylic and sand on Hardbord 16" x 20" This painting is based upon the histological study of a dorsal root ganglion. In short, the ganglia (nerve cell clusters) contain the cell bodies of sensory neurons which send messages to the spinal cord. My artistic inspiration for this painting was the art of Gustav Klimt. He paired the soft realism of the faces and hands of his subjects with richly patterned fabrics that appeared more as decoration than realism.	Acrylic on Masonite 24" x 36" This is my interpretation of the skull base anatomy as seen from an expanded endonasal approach. It is a minimally invasive technique that is executed by going through the nose using an endoscope. This approach allows the removal of tumors that lie at the base of the skull. Note the pituitary gland (yellow), optic nerves (blue), and carotid arteries (red), Cerebellum (cut sagittally) on the lower right and the Pons (shades of grey).	Acrylic and natural fibers on canvas 48"x 60" shows a section of compact bone. Compact bone is characterized by haversian canals, series' of tubes around narrow channels arranged parallel to the long axis of the bone (dark centered circles). The Haversian canals surround blood vessels and nerve cells throughout the bone and communicate with lacunar osteocytes (dark squiggley blobs) through small canaliculi (stringy parts). This arrangement assists mineral deposition, giving bone its strength.
"The Cave" displays an atmospheric landscape which is bisected to show differing perspectives of anatomy of the skull base. On the left is the middle/posterior intracranial fossa anatomy shown superiorly. On the right is anatomy of the cavernous sinus as well as a bit of basilar plexus and a subtle circle of willis. It is a nature scene. The jugular is shown to be draining into the water; whereas the arterial branches extend upward into the clouds. The branches of the trigeminal are on the right	From the "Female HIstopathology Triptych" Acrylic on canvas 24" x 12" Endometrial hyperplasia occurs when the endometrium, the lining of the uterus. becomes thickened. This painting depicts the histological imagery, top to bottom, three various cellular "stages" of the endometrium from healthy to pre-cancerous.	From the "Female HIstopathology Triptych" acrylic on canvas 24"x12" CCA is a rare cancer often linked to diethylstilbestrol (DES), a drug which was prescribed to pregnant women with the mistaken belief that it prevented miscarriage. I have chosen to recreate this disease to present a landscape in which these cells could heal. I used the blues in the image to create fluidity and movement. This lends a soothing overtone as well as the feeling of healing and dynamic change.
From the "Female HIstopathology Triptych" 24"x12" MSO is the growth of thyroid cells in the Ovary. It is a rare teratoma which is typically benign. I have chosen to depict a section of Corpus Luteum in the lower left in yellow as it is this color in an actual specimen but more importantly to lend a balance to the striking red of the papillary thyroid cells at the top. There are also follicles shown at various stages.	acrylic an polymer on canvas 20"x16"	acrylic on Masonite 26" x 12" This painting is my stylized interpretation of a coronal CT scan through the face. Visible is a concha bullosa in the patient’s right middle turbinate. "Concha bullosa refers to an enlargement or ballooning of the nasal turbinate with air. It is a normal anatomic variant, but occasionally, a concha bullosa can be very large and contribute to sinus obstruction.
acrylic on Hardbord 18"x 12" The internal carotid artery is one of my favorite landmarks of head and neck anatomy. The shape, path, placement and its function of carrying large amounts of life-giving blood to the brain are good enough reasons, I think! (There are gold shimmering paints used in this original which make it difficult to produce poster prints with accuracy)	acrylic on canvas 20" x 16" Commissioned in 2010 by a facial plastics fellow for her mentor, this piece depicts multiple microscopic tissues and cellular images in a layered collage.	Acrylic on Canvas 24"x 36" No anatomy or pathology is off limits here at Diagnosis ART! This painting depicts the colon with a case of diverticulosis. Diverticulum are pouches that push outward at weak points along the intestinal wall. Also noticeable in this intestine are a couple of polyps located on the upper and lower left side of the image. Microscopic Intestinal villi have been enlarged.
acrylic on canvas 20" x 16" This painting depicts gross anatomy of the brain in the background overlaid with silhouettes of tree branches. These branches are visually intertwined with the dendrites of the purkinje cells at the bottom. They are resting in a riverbed of pebbles which give this piece a very organic and fun feeling.	acrylic and polymer on Hardbord 12" x 12" This painting depicts the blood supply to the cochlea captured with scanning electron microscopy. It is a spectacular view of the cochlea which identifies the intricate details of our body only seen with modern technology. it has many painted layers; including 3d/raised vessels. The process, in addition to the materials have created the depth necessary for the recreation of this subject matter.	acrylic and fibers on Hardbord 12" x 12" “Slice” depicts a photomicrograph of the cochlea. I have enhanced its beauty by creating texture, warmth, depth and contrast. In this preparation we can see some (sparse) nerve fibers of the osseous lamina striding their way toward the medial wall. Also visible is the organ of corti area which is the lightest colored band running near the outside of the turns. This view is available by dissection.
acrylic and fibers on Hardbord 12" x 12" One of four paintings from the “Cochlea Suite” this painting depicts the cochlea having been sliced down the approximate middle. The cross-sections of the basal, middle and apical turns are visible as they spiral around the modiolu, the central bony canal. The hearing nerve is visible and is the object that appears to be like a stem to the cochlea. The original painting was textured with natural fibers and sand.	acrylic and sand on Hardbord 12" x 12" This painting shows the three rows of cilia which are part of the outer hair cells (‘v’ shaped portions) as well as the single row of inner hair cells/cilia.

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