©2025 Kalen Smith
Please do not use image without permission from the artist.
12″ x 16″
Acrylic paint and nontraditional mixed media
In Collaboration with Titus Seilheimer, Fisheries Outreach Specialist, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Spanning two horizontally stacked canvases, my piece dives into the world of water—both above and below. The top canvas captures a lake’s landscape with a patch of a wild rice field. The bottom canvas shifts beneath the waterline, where fish and native plants thrive. Each species was carefully chosen from videos and photos taken by Titus during his fieldwork. Beyond paint, I incorporated nontraditional materials—dried wild rice, a shotgun shell, sand, and moss—that Titus interacts with often.
I wanted this piece to represent all of the hard work Titus does for our environment. His projects, such as monitoring, planting, and harvesting wild rice fields, play a vital role in preserving Wisconsin’s natural beauty. I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Titus in bringing attention to the dedication and effort behind his work.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Kaelen Smith is a senior at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, majoring in Graphic Design with a minor in General Communication. She currently works as a Graphic Designer for the Graphics and Marketing Office in the university’s University Center, where she contributes to a wide range of branding and promotional projects.
With a passion for visual storytelling, Kaelen hopes to start her own wedding and stationery design business, combining her love of planning, illustration, and print design. She also dreams of working as a freelance artist, focusing on painting, collages, and custom stationery.
Outside of design, she enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring new food spots, and hopes to one day live somewhere warmer in the country (ideally on a small farm of her own).
Instagram: @ctrlfreakdesign
kaelensmith.myportfolio.com
ABOUT THE WATER PARTNER
Dr. Titus Seilheimer is the Fisheries Specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant. He works with Great Lakes partners and stakeholders to address fisheries and ecosystem changes and impacts. Dr. Seilheimer communicates the complexity and wonder of the Great Lakes ecosystems to a diverse group of people. He has an interest in identifying and counting fishes, habitat restoration, and dabbling in aquaculture.
MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUPPORT FROM
