Kristin Link’s debut book, Discover the Art of Field Sketching: Nature-Inspired Techniques for Pencil, Pen, and Watercolor, landed this April from Timber Press. I met Kristin in McCarthy more than 15 years ago; over time, we became friends, collaborators, and neighbors. I’ve watched her work across seasons and ecosystems, and it’s been a privilege to witness her field sketching practice on shared adventures. I was honored when she invited me to photograph her in the field and studio for this book, documenting tools and techniques in the landscapes where she lives.

Kristin has built a reputation as both a scientific illustrator and fine artist, while teaching students of all ages across Alaska. In 2022, at the close of a two-day field sketching workshop at McCarthy’s Wrangell Mountains Center, a participant mentioned that she’d pitched an article about the experience to The New York Times. It ran the following month alongside examples of Kristin’s work.

That piece—written by fellow Edible Alaska contributor Jenna Schneur, incidentally—caught the attention of an editor at the publishing company who reached out to Kristin about a book. Years in the making, Discover the Art of Field Sketching grows from Kristin’s core practice: go outside with a sketchbook; pay close attention; allow that attention to deepen one’s way of seeing.

Designed for beginners, the book moves beyond basics, offering 30 step-bystep projects that explore animals, plants, rocks, and landscapes across all seasons. Interwoven with natural history observations and reflection prompts, it invites readers not just to draw, but to notice, with wonder.

Follow Kristin on Substack and social media, find her illustrations and recipes in most issues of Edible Alaska in her Field Notes column, and buy her book wherever books are sold.