About Me
My name is Sam Grinstead. I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and am an artist and aspiring biologist. Fish and rivers are my primary source of inspiration, because of their beauty and resiliency. When I was young, I got my start drawing dinosaurs, dragons, and wild animals; and in high school, my friend and I wrote and sketched a Des Moines-based superhero comic themed around our lives at the time. This pushed me to learn the basics of perspective, detail, and movement. It also taught me how to really dive into my art. I've also had an affinity for the outdoors since I was young, and always had aspirations of becoming a professional ecologist. Since I could walk, I have been catching bugs and frogs in ponds; so at 12, I taught myself how to fish. Since then, I have been obsessed-- fishing the Des Moines metro area from my bike or my kayak is where you are likely to find me on any given day. Fishing is a channel to connect and level with the natural world anywhere on earth.
I specialize in watercolored pen sketches, but I have a broad range of artistic abilities including acrylic paintings, colored pencils, and clay sculpting. I am also always looking for ways to challenge myself and become a better artist, so I will take almost any job that comes my way. I frequently make native fish guides, because I believe it is important to educate people about their local bodies of water, and what healthy ecosystems should look like. Frequently, scientists even judge stream health based on what the fish communities look like. In order to get people to care about the health of our aquatic ecosystems, it is important to get people involved. Fish are everywhere, and getting people interested in them is something that I love doing. Whether you are from the city or the country, I bet you can find some fish near you.
In the past, I have worked on various fisheries research projects, including one on threatened Brook Trout in Northeast Iowa, invasive Asian Carp from the Mississippi River, and endangered Topeka Shiners in Western Iowan oxbows. I am currently in the process of trying to publish my own research about using fish as indicators of stream health in Iowa's Driftless area.
In the past, I have worked on various fisheries research projects, including one on threatened Brook Trout in Northeast Iowa, invasive Asian Carp from the Mississippi River, and endangered Topeka Shiners in Western Iowan oxbows. I am currently in the process of trying to publish my own research about using fish as indicators of stream health in Iowa's Driftless area.
Photo from fieldwork in Western Iowan oxbows searching for populations of the federally endangered Topeka Shiner Notropis topeka. Seen in the photo from left to right are my old field crew leaders Samuel Leberg and Dylan Osterhaus.
Fishing the Des Moines river from my kayak. When I fish the Des Moines, I typically target Catfish, Gar, Carp, Buffalo, Wipers, and Walleye.
