Sami Bayly is the author of The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals, her very first book. She is a natural history illustrator based in Newcastle, who loves all things weird and wonderful. She finds the beauty and importance of all animals regardless of their appearance, and hopes to share her appreciation with others.
Today, Sami’s on the blog to answer our Ten Terrifying Questions. Read on!
Sami Bayly
1. To begin with, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
I was born in Katoomba and spent the early years of my life there, I then moved to Queanbeyan from ages three to eight, and then to Port Macquarie. After finishing high school in Port Macquarie, I enrolled in a Bachelor’s Degree (Honours) in Natural History Illustration that was located at the University of Newcastle.
I have now lived here in Newcastle for approximately five years and am looking forward to seeing where the future will take me.
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
At twelve, I had already developed my love for animals and nature in general, so the most appealing career for me was to be a zoo keeper. Something that would allow me to be surrounded by amazing creatures all day, and learn about their habits.
At eighteen years old, I had already enrolled in my Natural History Illustration degree so knew that I wanted to pursue a role in this field. My belief at the time was that this would lead me into a range of potential careers, including providing art for textbooks, magazine publications, books and more.
I am still a few years off thirty, so I cannot say what my career aspirations will be then. However, I can only imagine that I will be continuing to learn about new opportunities and finding different ways to share my scientific illustrations with the world.
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you do not have now?
I used to believe at eighteen years old that you needed animal products to live a healthy and happy life. However, I have now learnt that you can not only live a healthier life, but also a happier and more fulfilling life without them. In turn, also reducing your impact on the environment and the suffering of animals.
Many of the species habitats in the book are being cleared and destroyed in order to clear room for animal agriculture purposes, so by decreasing your intake of animal products, you are having a positive impact on many species across the world.
4. What were three works of art – book or painting or piece of music, etc – you can now say, had a great effect on you and influenced your own development as an illustrator?
One of my favourite books as a child was The Waterhole by Graeme Base. I remember flicking through the pages over and over again with my family trying to spot all of the creatures hidden in the busy habitats.
The combination of animals and the environment really resonated with me and later inspired me as an adult.
Later in life I discovered the artist Alex Pardee and I developed a very strong connection to his colourful, graphic and intense artworks that usually involved monsters or anatomy in some form. This certainly influenced my love of making art that could be seen as weird or unusual.
When I had moved to Newcastle to start my Natural History Illustration degree, I visited the Morpeth Gallery where I saw three original William T. Cooper paintings that featured Hornbills. Finding an artist who had grown up in Newcastle and had made a career in illustrating wonderful nature themed paintings when I was just beginning my own Natural History Illustration degree was truly inspiring.
5. Considering the innumerable avenues open to visual artists, why did you choose to illustrate books?
With our world quickly changing, we need to take action before it’s too late. By illustrating and creating content for children, I feel that it is a wonderful way to inspire upcoming generations to create the change we need in the world.
Many of the animals featured in the book are in desperate need of help, and by introducing these species to children, it starts a conversation and creates awareness.
6. Please tell us about your latest book …
The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals is a children’s non-fiction book packed with 60 watercolour illustrations of the world’s most ugly or “aesthetically challenged” species. Throughout the book, I discuss why each species feature these “ugly” attributes, as well as information about their conservation status, diet, habitat and of course, fun facts.
7. What do you hope people take away with them after seeing your work?
I hope I can teach children that it is not fair to judge an animal (or human) because of their appearance. Creatures come in a range of shapes and sizes and many of the features we deem as “ugly” are actually amazing adaptations that they have evolved over many years to assist with their survival.
8. Whom do you most admire in the realm of art and why?
There have been many artists that I have admired over the years, both in the fine art and scientific illustration realm. So, it is really difficult to choose just one that I admire most. But if I had to choose someone at this point in my life, it would be John J. Audubon.
His beautiful, detailed natural history themed illustrations are truly magnificent and each one is a wonderful, intricate scene that involves the animal in their habitats. I hope to be as refined as him one day.
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
One of my goals is to one day visit all the species found inside The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals. Although it may seem like a rather small or insignificant task, to me it is very important.
Being able to see the animals in their habitats and witness some of their amazing qualities is something I would love to do.
Many of the “ugly” animals that are featured in the book are sadly suffering greatly in terms of conservation, and if we are not careful they will become extinct.
10. What advice do you give aspiring illustrators?
I encourage anyone who is interested in art or creating in general to look outside the box when it comes to potential careers. I felt that my options were limited when growing up, due to the lack of awareness of the potential jobs available for artists. My only possibilities were to become an art teacher or curator, and if I wanted to be a famous artist, it would only happen after I died. Since none of those fitted me, I found myself discouraged and disheartened.
However, after finding more like-minded people in university, I realised that there really was an abundance of creative careers in Australia and the world. You can pursue a career in illustration, you just have to look.
Thank you for playing!
See more of Sami’s art here.
The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals
Marvel as you enter the fascinating hidden world of ugly animals in this encyclopaedia of the animal kingdom's most unusual and beauty-challenged species. It's time for ugly animals to shine!
With more than sixty ugly animals to explore, this compendium of the unusual celebrates the beauty in 'ugliness'. Children and adults alike will pore over the breathtaking scientific illustrations of unusual animals, debating their relative ugliness and merits, learning about science and nature along the way...
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