This article celebrates the variety of Don Caspar's research interests, with particular focus on those scientific investigations beyond the structural biology of viruses for which he is often associated. These lesser known, seemingly backwater projects, allow us to build up a portrait, in both word and image, of this prolific and creative scientist. Exploration of his ideas will reveal a close connection to other structural thinkers and artists throughout history, most notably the 17th century astronomer Johannes Kepler. Crown Copyright (c) 2017 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.