Member Spotlight: Deborah K. Haines (Deb)
Deb Haines. Portrait by Phil Snow-UTCVM medical photographer
Those of us who have a love of science and art—and refuse to give up one for the other—eventually find the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI), or their compadres in Europe through AEIMS1. Those specializing in human medicine in North America gravitate to the AMI2, or in Europe to the IMI3 and MAA4.
I was fortunate to find the Guild early when seeking how I could combine both loves. I was the kid who loved biology, geology, dissection, and researching to figure out how things worked, whether in the physical or the mechanical world.
I also loved to draw. My influences have been varied and include artisans, instructors, faculty, peers, and people who like to experiment with new media (whether traditional or computer). The Guild has been crucial in the role of education and sharing knowledge. The beauty of the Guild is the variety of expertise and how others are using their skills to promote science.
A STORIED CAREER
Timing, location, and a bit of luck go into career endeavors, but to achieve anything one must be willing to explore, take some risks, and adjust. Before heading down the path we call scientific illustration, I was looking at three different paths: would I choose art administration, art therapy, or medical illustration
as my choice of vocation? After undergraduate school I worked in a regional hospital in an innovative Cultural Arts Program and with the Rehabilitation unit (PT/OT/Speech). Tasked with researching art therapy, I developed the ART CART. This program created an art gallery within the hospital focused on regional artists and brought hospital patients out of their rooms for weekly cultural presentations.
Internal Mandibular Anesthesia Block. Illustration shows innervation of location to administer anesthesia with open-mouth procedure.Designed to teach DVM students proper placement of anesthesia for an internal mandibular block. Created for Dr. Ralph Harvey by Deborah K. Haines ©2015 The University of Tennessee.
Goniometric Studies of the Equine Limb. One of a series of line drawings created to show range of motion (extension and flexion) of both forelimb and hind limb for Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. All illustrations drawn to scale to ensure accuracy along with goniometric scale. Use of pen and ink, scanning and Adobe Illustrator for the goniometer. Series created by Deborah K. Haines for a research article written by Drs. Steve Adair (UTCVM) and Denis Little (at the time NC State). ©2013 The University of Tennessee
I soon realized my interests gravitated toward medical illustration as a goal. I moved to Indianapolis, met well known teacher Craig Gosling, and—with some perseverance—was hired as a Graphic Artist at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Gosling introduced me to GNSI. I had taken a scientific illustration course and realized it wasn’t only about the ability to draw—there was so much to learn. I added courses to increase my knowledge. Around 1985, Gosling purchased the first Mac SE. He placed it near my workstation, so off I went exploring and taught myself the first version of Cricket Graph®, PageMaker®, and Adobe Illustrator®. It was a great experience as I worked with three medical illustrators, five graphic artists, four medical photographers, a medical sculptor, and a variety of doctors from all specializations (clinical and research).
Oblique Mandibular Anesthesia Block. Illustration by Deborah K. Haines ©2003 The University of Tennessee.
It was through hard work and kindness of others that I was able to attend the MFA program in Medical and Biological Illustration at the University of Michigan under Professors Denis Lee, Gerald Hodge and Christopher Burke. Faculty and students were exploring first versions of computer graphics. From these explorations I gained an interest in animation. Post graduation I traveled to Tucson, Arizona, to work for a small innovative company doing accident reconstruction and medical-legal work. This was when all 3D computer generated objects were developed from scratch and straight from code. I researched and created storyboards and medical illustrations for various courtroom animations and demonstrative evidence boards. My next jump was back east to Knoxville to work at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee in 1993.
My goal has always been to be in environments that allow me to stretch, sometimes fall forward, but always to grow. By volunteering with professional organizations like GNSI, I have developed skills that I would have typically avoided. I encourage all our members to consider volunteering as much as they are able. I have been fortunate to have great mentors and friends, but the most valuable will always be the professional friendships. In most cases I have been the sole medical-scientific illustrator and bio-visualization specialist in my work. My peers have kept me current on trends and issues, provided constructive criticism, and advised me when an outside perspective was required.
Look to others to not just pat you on the back, but also for the reviews and comments that we need to grow. Even a seed, when watered, must push its way through dirt to see the sunlight and from the sunlight be energized to grow and flourish. As the cycle continues, the plant gives back by throwing out more seeds. Whether you are a new seed just planted, being watered, and starting to germinate, or sharing seeds of your expertise, please participate in any way you feel comfortable. Come develop amazing, talented friendships as a member of the Guild.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
You may ask, “Who is Deb Haines?” I grew up in the land of the Buckeyes5 to a mother who emphasized education and a father who said, “Have you solved the problem? What are your options?” At four years of age, I wanted to be a doctor and carried around my plastic medical bag, while my cousin wore his complete cowboy outfit. I cannot remember a time when my family didn’t have a dog or wasn’t taking care of birds. There were always pets in the extended family, both large animals and small. I continue to collect both domestic animals and wildlife. I still have Encyclopedia of Animals, the first book that my older brother and I pored over as children. He was a much better artist than me. (Healthy competition, criticism, and praise never hurt anyone.) The book had a dictionary at the back with black-and-white coquille illustrations of animals. Did I know what a coquille drawing was at the time? No, but I would look at them for hours. What was my first scientific illustration? I copied the nervous system of the grasshopper at age 11.
As I continued through middle and high school I had amazing math, science, and art teachers. But my education wasn’t just in the classroom; my brother and I experienced it. Our family camped across America (United States and Canada) which is how I experienced history and geography. On one camping trip out west, we stopped in Nebraska or Kansas6 and by the end of the two days I had “collected” over 50 pounds of sandstone rocks that I put in the trunk (boot) of the car. (Not something that would be acceptable today—do not take things out of state or national parks please.) Mom wanted to throw them out, but Dad said, “Leave her be; it’s not hurting anything.” The car hauled those rocks further west and then back home. Now that I think about it, the trunk wasn’t as low when we arrived back home. Mom may have dropped some out along the way. Another memorable camping trip was at age 13 in the Tetons7. At dusk, while Mom and Dad were setting camp, my brother and I went exploring. We took a shortcut through a grove of woods back to our campsite and came upon a moose. We were about 10 feet apart and I was mesmerized. This was no Bullwinkle, and I was stoked!
Equine Foot Left Front (P1-3). Illustration shows proper settign of phalanges in relation to the hoof wall. Created by Deborah K. Haines for UTCVM Farrier Service. ©2015 The University of Tennessee.
Equine Regenerative Medicine. First of three panels for an educational display on use of stem cells in veterinary medicine. Created by Deborah K. Haines for Drs. Dennis Geiser and Madhu Dhar, UTCVM Regenerative Medicine Research. ©2012-2013 The University of Tennessee.
More siblings came along, and at that time we were a one-income family. Summers were for planting and growing—digging in the dirt, planting seed. We were what people call urban farmers, and as kids we could choose our favorite vegetable or fruit to grow and tend. The earliest science question: What happens when you don’t water your plant? I think around that time I created my first botanical illustration, a painting of a dandelion in the style of a famous artist; I chose van Gogh.
LESSONS LEARNED
I was told from an early age that learning was my responsibility. I have been fortunate that I was encouraged to learn from whoever was the most talented, within reach. There was a small public library across the field from our house where I borrowed books once a week. Our summers were outside, but when it rained we were inside reading. If we asked for an answer from Mom, we knew her response would be, “Have you looked it up?”
I had to learn, as an introvert, that my fear was often mistaken as ego by others. That appearance of ego (my fear) had to be placed on the back burner to excel. Striving for perfection could be a goal, but mistakes made along the way were part of the learning process; in other words, let curiosity pursue discovery. My uncle used to tell me, “One size doesn’t fit all, find your best fit.” Recognize that interest and focus may change over time, adapt. For instance, I have watched veterinary students as they began the curriculum tell me their career goals, but often with other experiences they redirect to a different path.
They also ask my favorite question: WHY?
- Why does it work that way?
- Why should we do it one way over another?
- Why did they make that decision?
- Why was that question on the test? That diagram doesn’t make sense.
This can lead to their next question: WHAT?
- What would make it better?
- What makes things tick?
- What made them go in that direction instead of another?
- What is the purpose of the [fill in the blank]?
Whiplash. Researched, wrote script, storyboarded and developed the base art for animation incorporated into whiplash video. Illustrations show base art used in animation reveal of the muscles in the human neck and shoulders, posterior view. Canson Mi-Tientes® and Crescent® board, airbrush, cut paper, Berol-Prismacolor® pencils. ©1992 Deborah K. Haines.
I believe we are born with curiosities embedded in our DNA. From watching my Dad build a tail-dragger biplane and letting me design the paint job, to helping measure a car so I could draw a figure to scale within the cross section showing the process of injury for an accident reconstruction case, or by dissecting a bird to understand how the amazing avian respiratory system works—the WHY, the WHAT, and the HOW questions are at the core of our work. To paraphrase Buzz Lightyear, we are natural explorers whether on the micro, macro, or universe level and beyond. As scientific/medical illustrators and biovisualization specialists we hope by asking those questions, it pushes us to create illustrations that illuminate. Sometimes the simplest illustration is the hardest to create because in its simplicity a flaw stands out. Decisions on what to include and what to take away are essential for the essence to be conveyed. But that is also part of the process of learning, improving, and sharing knowledge. Are we asking the right questions? Have we used the most current knowledge, and does our scientific illustration help someone understand the concept, the problem, or analyze a potential outcome/solution?
Third Eyelid Repair- Nictating Membrane. Final suture step to close repair. One of a series of ophthalmological surgical illustrations to accompany book chapters by Drs. Dan Ward and Diane Hendrix in Gelatt’s Veterinary Ophthalmology, 2nd–4th editions and Essentials of Veterinary Ophthalmology, 1st edition. Carbon pencil and Faber-Castell® pencils on BFK Rives® paper.Illustration by Deborah K. Haines ©1997 The University of Tennessee.
Avian Crop Anatomy. Part of a series of five illustrations for an article by Dr. Isabelle Langlois of North American Clinics about the anatomy and physiology of the avian gut. Pen and ink on Denril®. Illustration by Deborah K. Haines ©2002 The University of Tennessee.
Cartoon illustration “Who’z Bad?” created for Dr. Michael P. Jones, Avian/Exotics DVM, to describe behaviors of different avian species. Final image created in Photoshop. Illustration by Deborah K. Haines ©2007 The University of Tennessee.
Is WHY still my favorite question? Yes, and I still collect a rock, shell, or bone from wherever I have visited or lived. I still love to figure out how things tick and to dissect anything and everything (animal, plant, or mineral). I never thought veterinary medical illustrations would be my vocation, but it’s been 31 years and counting. Any critter, domestic or wild, will do. I love to travel to learn about different cultures; we may live in different places, but we still have the same basic needs and desires. Technology and other factors often drive change, but don’t forget to get outside, go exploring, do your research, take a sketchbook, and make some observations. My grandfather saw the first airplane fly and built a model; my other grandfather helped build Secret City (Oak Ridge, Tennessee). My parents saw the transformation of land speed records and space exploration. As a child I saw the first man walk on the moon, the space station built, and huge leaps in science, medicine, and technology. History tells us humans can create and solve problems. Let’s illustrate solutions for our time. Hmm…I wonder, can I one day collect a moon rock?
1 AEIMS: Association Européenne des Illustrateurs Médicaux et Scientifiques, https://www.aeims.eu/
2 AMI: Association of Medical Illustrators, https://www.ami.org/
3 IMI: Institute of Medical Illustrators, https://www.imi.org.uk/
4 MAA: Medical Artists’ Association, https://maa.org.uk/
5. Ohio is known as the Buckeye State.
6. Locations for Niobrara Chalk formations: https://www.nps.gov/niob/learn/nature/geologicformations.htm https://www.nature.org/en-us/search/? q=Little%20Jerusalem%20Badlands%20State%20Park https://outdoornebraska.gov/location/indian-cave/ https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nebraska/sandstone-formations-toadstool-park-ne/
7. The Teton Range is located in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
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