Wild Neighbors: Looking Closely at the Life Around Us
This year, I’m launching a new body of work called "Wild Neighbors" a series rooted in attention, proximity, and care. These works focus on species we often see every day: butterflies, birds, amphibians, and small mammals that live alongside us in parks, gardens, and shared landscapes. Some of these species were once endangered and have slowly recovered; others were never formally listed, yet remain deeply affected by habitat loss, climate change, and human activity.
Rather than spotlighting only the rare or exotic, Wild Neighbors asks us to notice what’s already here, to recognize resilience as well as fragility in the familiar. These species remind us that conservation doesn’t only happen “somewhere else.” It happens in our neighborhoods, greenbelts, schoolyards, and backyards.
As part of this project, 5% of all proceeds from the Wild Neighbors series will be donated to organizations working to protect endangered and threatened species. The goal is both symbolic and tangible: to pair observation with action, and beauty with responsibility.
One of the first species featured in this series is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus):
'Eastern tiger swallowtails are one of the most common butterflies in the eastern US. Their bright yellow wings broken up by black stripes make them easy to spot as they flutter through shady forests, open fields, and backyard gardens. Adult butterflies drink nectar from milkweed, lantana, gayfeather, honeysuckle, and many other species of flower. Females often lay their eggs on the host plants of the caterpillars (black cherry, birches, cottonwoods, and willows), giving them a head start on finding the tasty leaves they feed on!'
-Jamie Hooker, East Texas Program Director, Texas Land Conservancy
Learn More About Texas Land Conservancy HERE
Purchase an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 8x8 or 12 x 12" Artwork HERE
Artist Juliet Whitsett has been learning, creating art about and partnering with leading experts in order to share the importance of our world’s biodiversity. Her digital, acrylic, and experiential audio art pieces aim to bring awareness to our rarest + most at risk species - those who obviously have no means of advocating for themselves.
The colors in this were sampled from crowd-sourced images of the species.
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BIODIVERSITY OF TEXAS SERIES: With approximately 90 state and federal endangered species and 140 threatened species in Texas, Whitsett’s work underscores the urgency of conservation while emphasizing that protection is still possible.
Through the process of developing species-derived color palettes sampled from crowd-sourced images, Whitsett creates original artworks that draw inspiration from these distinctive palettes, as well as the lives and forms of the rarest and most at-risk. Collaborating closely with scientists and leading experts, she continually seeks to deepen her understanding of these species, contributing to both environmental education and conservation.
Juliet Whitsett is an Austin-based artist and environmental advocate specializing in biodiversity, ecological storytelling, and public engagement. Through research-driven art, she makes scientific knowledge accessible, inspiring awareness and action for the natural world.
Thank you for supporting local art and nature!
Juliet
PS: I'm considering an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Tee giveaway through the Give program! Stay tuned!