Senior Project Advisor
Brady Olson
Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Fall 2025
Keywords
Algae, Watercolors, Natural Pigments, Biodegradable, Paint, Pacific Northwest, Art, Artwork, Painting, Visual Art
Abstract
Algae produce over half of the oxygen in the world that we breathe, but people don’t consider algae much. With my capstone project, I want to highlight the importance of algae and how anybody can physically incorporate algae into their life. I experimented with creative techniques and found a method that works best to turn algae into watercolor paint. I collected it, cleaned and dried it, then grounded it into a powder to mix with gum arabic and water to create algae-based pigments. These colors can be used to create beautiful, biodegradable paintings. By turning algae into art, I hope to connect people to this amazing resource that they may not have considered using before.
[A painting portfolio is included as a supplementary file with this page.]
Department
Biology
Recommended Citation
Maruska, Nick, "Art and Algae: Turning Algae into Art" (2025). WWU Honors College Senior Projects. 1036.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors/1036
Type
Text
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Painting Portfolio--Art and Algae