Allen Crawford
ALLEN CRAWFORD ’90 grew up exploring every nook of the natural world he could find in Somers Point.
His father, who was an elementary school teacher in New Gretna, introduced him to the Pinelands National Reserve, which became “a home away from home.”
At Stockton University, he found an opportunity to draw upon the scenes from his childhood in detail as a Visual Arts major with a concentration in Graphic Design.
Lake Fred offered new outdoor adventures and a place to clear his mind between classes.
The campus felt familiar to the pines he roamed as a curious child and became another source of inspiration that helped him define his artistic style.
“I never got over it,” he said of the wild places he’s never stopped exploring and the biodiversity of flora and fauna he studies.
“It just amazes me that any of it even exists. The more I learn about the larger universe, it makes it even more amazing. Time has a way of conferring majesty and commands respect for the natural world and its web of life that we see around us,” he explained.
The Journey from Nature Enthusiast to Working Artist
Crawford met Susan, a fellow artist, now his wife, at Stockton when their portfolios were accidentally mixed up.
They both wanted to be illustrators and were determined to find a way to make a living as working artists.
They created Plankton Art Company after graduating and built their business on the eclectic skillset they honed at a liberal arts school.
Their science and biology niche connected them with museums, zoos and botanical gardens.
The Museum of Natural History hired them early on for a seven-month job to create ID keys for 400 species for the Hall of Ocean Life.
In some cases, pictures didn’t exist of newly discovered species. FedEx arrived with a package from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Inside was a low-resolution recording from the Alvin submersible of a deep-sea creature.
“The ctenophore (a marine invertebrate) was transparent, and the footage was sketchy. I studied the motion,” he said.
This kind of career “chooses you,” he said.
The work requires energy, focus, creativity, commitment and late nights. “There are ups and downs. It’s almost like swinging on a trapeze while building it. The uncertainty in being self-employed fluctuates,” he said.
The dedication brought him opportunities with clients including Target, Phish, The National Constitution Center, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and many more.
Volunteer Work Turns into a Dream Job
With the ability to create his own schedule, Crawford carved out time to volunteer
for conservation groups and join local clubs, which connected him with biologists,
botanist and other experts.
His volunteer efforts to prevent offroad vehicles from damaging fragile vernal pool breeding habitats led to an official role when the regional supervisor for the New Jersey Park Service offered him a part-time position as a park steward.
“It’s the best job I’ve ever had,” he said.
The job takes him to many places, and “I meet a lot of dogs,” he laughed.
When he’s not clearing overgrown trails, he’s talking to the public and sharing his knowledge of the environment.
“Being with the Park Service was always a quiet aspiration. I enjoy the physical challenge. I wanted to serve before I got too old” he said.
The job also allowed him to get his wildland firefighter certificate from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
The artist lifestyle can be solitary, but the Park Service allows him to surround himself with fellow outdoor enthusiasts and conservation-minded individuals.
A Wild Promise
Bright. Crisp. Bold. That’s how he describes his colors, patterns and style.
He calls his illustrations “devotional art that pays tribute to the plants and animals that have given me so much pleasure.”
“I try to exalt them in my own small way and share that,” he said.
Don't just draw with your hands, draw with your mind and heart. Find a point of view—that will look different for everyone—but be an advocate for that and illuminate the beauty. It’s a worthwhile mission and a life well lived.
One creature he focused on lives on a ledge of rock in the desert that's about the size of a large table and exists nowhere else on earth. The spring 2025 population count for the Devils Hole pupfish is 38.
The Endangered Species Act has a 99% success rate. Conservation work around the world stabilizes populations and stops species from vanishing.
Crawford also published “Whitman Illuminated,” an illustrated and hand-lettered edition of Walt Whitman’s epic 1855 poem, and “Affected Provincial,” a collection of charts and essays. “Whitman Illustrated” earned him a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators in New York in 2015.
Make Your Art an Advocate
At home, he’s curated his house into a wonder cabinet. His draft board is in a studio with a chaotic assortment of headphones, laptop, iPad, stylus and art supplies. But throughout his living spaces, he has woven reminders of the natural world: American lotus pods, pitcher plant husks, shells, feathers, fossils, natural history prints and keepsakes from his travels.
“Don't just draw with your hands, draw with your mind and heart. Find a point of view—that will look different for everyone—but be an advocate for that and illuminate the beauty. It’s a worthwhile mission and a life well lived,” he said.
Story by Susan Allen
View more of Allen Crawford's work at https://www.allencrawfordillustration.com.
