Katherine Roy Wins the 2025 Bull-Bransom Award for Sea Without a Shore
August 22, 2025The National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) is pleased to announce that Katherine Roy has been awarded the 2025 Bull-Bransom Award for her illustrations in Sea Without a Shore, authored by Barb Rosenstock. This book celebrates sargassum, a microalgae that provides for many sea organisms. From bryozoans and snails to shrimp, eels, swordfish, and whales, the Sargasso Sea is home to countless types of marine life, thanks to the prevalence of sargassum. Following a single blade of this extraordinary seaweed as it grows and spreads, readers see what it provides for a variety of other marine life: a base for hydroids and tube worms to filter and feed, shelter for anemones and nudibranchs and their nutritious waste, hunting grounds for crabs and amphipods, and a source of nourishment and protection for the fish, birds, whales, and reptiles that feed on these smaller creatures.
The Bull-Bransom Award is given annually to recognize excellence in the field of children’s book illustration with a focus on nature and wildlife. The award is named after artists Charles Livingston Bull and Paul Bransom, who were among the first and finest American artist-illustrators to specialize in wildlife subjects and who are both represented in NMWA’s permanent collection. Both had a tremendous impact on younger artists and illustrated numerous children’s books. Museum Trustee Emerita and Bull-Bransom Award Founder, Lynn Friess, started this annual award in 2010. Friess’s granddaughter, Lyla Kirkpatrick, will present Roy with this award on behalf of the Museum at the Jackson Hole Book Festival on September 27, 2025 at 9 a.m. The public is invited to attend.
The Bull-Bransom award is determined by a jury overseen by NMWA’s curatorial department. “Roy has such a beautiful and distinctive style,” says Associate Curator of Art, Dr. Kennis Forte. “I love the way she builds up the layers of color to create a sense of volume in her illustrations. She somehow manages to make watercolor look effortless, which is quite an accomplishment! The colors in this book are particularly stunning, especially in the moments of direct contrast between the rich marigold and mustard colors of the sargassum and the glorious blues she uses to depict the sea.”
Roy is an award-winning author and illustrator best known for her science-focused picture books, which combine scientific research with dynamic visual storytelling to share the way things live with young readers. In discussing her illustrations, Roy says, “Every book I make begins with an ‘I wonder’ question that leads me into research, fieldwork, and sketching until I can uncover the story inside the science. Looking at a clump of sargassum up close, I was astonished by its detail—tiny creatures clinging to the globes and blades like a miniature forest. I tried to capture the fragile beauty of this drifting ocean world on every page of the book.” Her books include Neighborhood Sharks, How to Be an Elephant, and Making More: How Life Begins, along with Sea Without a Shore, written by author Barb Rosenstock. Roy studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and cartooning at The Center for Cartoon Studies, and now lives in western Oregon with her family, where she continues to write, paint, and explore the natural world.
Roy will participate in programming with local school groups and lead a Make it Wild class at the Museum on September 26, 2025. During the Make it Wild class from 6 to 8 p.m., Roy will guide participants through a colorful exploration of watercolor, drawing inspiration from the ocean animals in Sea Without a Shore. Students will layer washes, build contrast, and learn how to let the water do some of the work. Registration is $50 per person and limited to the first 20 registrants.
Photo Credit: Tim Stout
