CHARLES DARWIN AND THE EVOLUTION OF LIFE:
A MURAL AT EL TORO HIGH SCHOOL

As an aspiring evolutionary biologist, when I was offered an opportunity to paint an academic-themed mural by my art teacher at my high school, I was instantly inspired. Charles Darwin revolutionized the life sciences, discovering and bringing humble appreciation to the origin and development of all life on Earth, including ourselves, the human species.  Thanks to his incredible insights, now the basis of all the life sciences, we continue to learn and build upon the scientific knowledge that gives us meaning. This mural was intended to celebrate just that - Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, and the amazing discoveries that have been made since. 

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The mural specifically depicts the basis of all genetic code, DNA, swirling around Darwin's body and through his head bursting into a thought bubble filled with all the major extinct organisms from each passing time period in the order in which they occur, starting with the Late Proterozoic and ending with Quaternary period of the Cenozoic Era, representing the future paleontological discoveries since Darwin's death. The last organism in the bubble is Stephen Hawking, meant to represent humanity, because Hawking passed away around the time the drawing was completed. Many of the species are referenced from a variety of paleoart pieces, fossil specimens, and from the art of RJ Palmer.

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After creating and designing the concept of the mural, I worked for 5.5 months with the help of ETHS students Shannon Hancock and Cas Harmon to complete the project.

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