The art of climate change: This watercolorist wants to change the way we see the science and policy - KCRA Sacramento
This watercolorist makes climate change-inspired art
The art of climate change: This watercolorist wants to change the way we see the science and policy
Nicole Kelner started her climate art business following a 100-day social media challenge to create one piece of artwork each day for 100 days.
Climate change and the solutions for adapting to it aren't usually pretty. But watercolor artist Nicole Kelner wants to change that.
Kelner, who is based in New York City, has been creating her climate art for a little over a year.
Kelner uses her crisp and vibrant style of painting to bring life to concepts ranging from carbon capture to kelp forests. These ideas and others like it can be hard for us to visualize.
“People often get stuck by the doom and gloom of climate change or just ugly graphs or just chunks of text," Kelner said. "My art allows people to kind take a second and actually look at it because first they’re just looking at a pretty thing, but then they’re actually learning about climate change.”
With a background in communications and computer coding, Kelner herself is learning about climate change as she creates each piece. Once she picks a topic, she researches and then carefully distills complicated ideas into single images.
“I think that it really was coming in with a beginner's eye and mindset that has allowed me to make these really visual," Kelner said.
Kelner has been creating her climate art for a little over a year. She got started by challenging herself to create one watercolor painting each day for 100 days.
“I didn’t intend it to be climate-focused, I was just painting about fun things and then 10 days in I did one about kelp and carbon sequestration," she said.
The idea gained popularity quickly on her social media platforms, so she stuck with it. Now it's her full-time job.
“I’m truly reaching millions of people. And that’s nuts to me!" Kelner said.
Kelner sells prints and other merchandise featuring her work on her website. She also takes commissions from businesses in the climate sector. Her latest project is a coloring book focused on electrification.
As Kelner continues to brainstorm and create new designs, she hopes that she can help bring new people into the climate conversation.
“I just feel like this is the most impactful use of my time every day,” Kelner said.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate science
What began as a theory in the 1890s — that industrial emissions of carbon dioxide could increase global temperatures — had progressed to a scientific fact a century later. Scientists across a range of disciplines are studying the impact of the still-growing concentration of carbon dioxide and other so-called “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere as they call for industrial and governmental policies to slow, then halt, the warming of the planet.