Shapes of Spring

Tirth Katrodia is an Indian illustrator and visual artist based in London. His studio is called Yatra, which means journey in Sanskrit.

For his Zócalo Sketchbook, Katrodia brings us a vibrant burst of springtime energy. This comes in the form of complex grids of form and exuberant colors, which bring his stylized plants and butterflies to life. “Looking at the natural world, I’ve always been fascinated how simplicity forms the complex,” he says of his Sketchbook pieces. “In these illustrations, I’ve aimed to depict nature’s intertwined and interconnected life through a delicate balance of shapes, lines, and colors.”

While Katrodia …

Cybernetic Flowers

Sofia Pusa is a multidisciplinary creative director and illustrator based in London.

For her Zócalo Sketchbook, Pusa gives us an array of crisp, cybernetic flowers to herald the arrival of spring. Note her …

Like Maple Syrup, Vermont’s Identity Is Complex and Messy

My Research on "Sugaring" Connects Me With Stories of a Rustic, Self-Reliant State

When people all over the country think of Vermont, they think of maple. No matter the reasons that people come here—skiing and leaf-peeping are two—they often take some Vermont home, …

Hiking Skyward

It started with heartache. I made the climb with one good friend who knew me to be sad. It was July; Cleveland Sage had flowered. We walked up and up …