Deborah Ross created this piece for the cover of a pet–themed special section of Well that The Times published on June 11, 2017. In her work, Ross focuses on environmental concerns and a community’s response to their landscapes. She has worked in Africa for over 30 years on extended tenures collaborating with scientists while at the same time evolving her own visual response to nature.

The natural world has always been the core of Ross’s artistic life. She began as an artist for The New York Times Science section in 1980 and works primarily in watercolor because of the speed, mobility and emotional richness of the medium. She prefers to work from direct observation because the energy of encounter informs her visual narration. She aims to portray the essence of a subject distilled during the moments of observation.

The Times commissions thousands of original illustrations from freelance artists around the world, enhancing stories with thought-provoking images that enrich the reading experience.