When I traveled to the Galápagos Islands in 2010, Marine Iguanas were among the animals I most wanted to encounter. Their blunt faces, rugged scales, and prominent dorsal spines give them an almost prehistoric appearance, while reflecting their extraordinary adaptation to life along the boundary between land and sea.

Marine Iguanas are the only living lizards that regularly forage in the ocean, feeding primarily on marine algae before returning to the volcanic shoreline to warm themselves in the equatorial sun. In Salt and Sun, I used graphite to emphasize the animal’s intricate textures, quiet presence, and remarkable evolutionary history. The drawing reflects both my personal experience with Marine Iguanas in the Galápagos and my admiration for a species shaped by cold seawater, salt, volcanic rock, and intense sunlight.