I want a rhino in every home, and I'm not stopping with terrestrial locations. My rhinoceros painting, Luna, is headed for the Moon in 2024. The painting is part of the Lunar Codex. It will be specially digitized along with the selected work of other artists, musicians, writers, and more. Those digitized works are being sent to the Moon in three separate missions.
Putting art on the moon has profound cultural significance. Art, in its many forms, is not only the foundation of culture but also how we are able to communicate and create lasting bonds across cultures and across time. Art should be everywhere people are.
And, to paraphrase a friend, when you think about how ridiculously excited we are every time we find more 10,000+ year old cave paintings, you can imagine how unbelievably mind-boggled whoever finds the Lunar Codex will be. The digitized time capsule is purported to last 100,000 years!
Luna is a petite painting, only 10x10 inches, but it packs a punch. The main rhino is in a power pose, representing the full moon. It is also in highest contrast to the nearly black background. The rhinos in profile on either side represent the crescents of the waxing and waning moon. The detail is rich in this tiny painting in order to honor the cratered and mottled surface of the Moon.
The symbolism of the painting also nods to the modern archetypal idea of a trinity of goddesses representing three phases of womanhood that are generalized down to maiden, mother, and crone. Just like there are more than three phases of the Moon, there are more than three ways to experience womanhood. This is a potent symbol, however, that brings to mind cycles and the relation of the known to the unknown (full vs. new moon). The Moon is ever changing and full of potential.
We all know that I began painting rhinos in 1999, right? While I do paint other animals, rhinos are my first love and what set me on the path of Surreal wildlife artist.
Luna is only one of my moon-inspired rhinoceros paintings. I'm working on an entire Moon Rhino series, starting with our solar system.
The Lunar Codex consists of a series of digital time capsules being sent to space. The first part of the project (The Orion Collection/creator Samuel Peralta’s work) went into space and returned to Earth on NASA Artemis 1 in 2022.
There are three time capsules scheduled to go to the Moon and stay there.
Nana Visitor, of Star Trek fame, asked to interview me for Visitor’s upcoming book, Open a Channel. We met at Yuri’s Night 2023 and enjoyed a wonderful conversation about space, art, and making room for oneself/opening a channel as a woman in this world and beyond.
Nana Visitor is a blast! Meeting her was a dream come true. Then she asked to interview me and accepted my business card! WHAT?!
OH! And then she FOLLOWED ME ON INSTAGRAM and my SOUL left my BODY.
Whew. Okay, calming back down again.
I'm looking forward to the interview. As of right now, the scheduling process is started! I will keep you updated as best as I am able as this dream unfolds.
As of right now, the original painting of Luna is available for purchase. <---That statement is subject to change.
Prints are also available. Woo!
Planetary Radio posts their interviews about space as podcasts. I have no idea when my interview will go live, but check out the podcast regardless! They do great work!
]]>The Spring Edition of Modern Renaissance Magazine will include a selection of my Surreal wildlife artwork! My paintings will be featured in the magazine April 30, 2023.
The magazine is a premiere international arts magazine curated by Culturally Arts Collective. They include a variety of subject matter and genres with an eye on quality artwork. I'm thrilled to be included!
The magazine is available for view on their site starting April 30, 2023. It will also be available for purchase both digitally and in print. You can see the current issue of Modern Renaissance Magazine here.
]]>Acropora Rudis Coral, a painting I just finished, is accepted into Ghost Gallery's upcoming show on coral conservation!
I believe this is the first coral colony I've painted, aside from making dioramas for fun as a child. It was freeing and fun to paint one of these underwater animals. I'd forgotten what it was like to not take musculature and bony processes into account. I may paint more endangered corals.
From NOAA Fisheries, "Acropora rudis is a species of coral likely found in the central and eastern Indian Ocean from the Maldives to the western-most portion of Indonesia...Acropora rudis forms colonies made up by many individual polyps that grow together...Acropora rudis gets food from photosynthetic algae that live inside the coral's cells. It also feeds by capturing plankton with its polyp’s tentacles."
This painting is my reminder to keep going.
The paint on this one is thick and deeply textured in places. The rhinoceros featured in this is a member of the Sumatran rhino species. They are the most unique-looking all rhino species. Their two horns are generally short and small; their prehensile upper lip is pronounced; and they are sometimes so hairy that they look furry.
Io the Tormented is part of my Rhino Moons series. It's a subset of paintings that belong to my larger series, Wandering Stars, that focuses on portraying cosmic bodies and the entities they are named after in the guise of wildlife.
This story is complicated. The short version is that Jupiter can't control himself. His desires negatively impacted the relationship between his wife, Juno, and Io. Jupiter transformed Io into a white cow to hide her. Juno wasn't fooled. Instead of punishing her husband, she cursed Io to an eternity of torment from a gadfly.
The perk here is in Io's persistence and unwillingness to give up. Eventually, Io was freed from her gadfly curse and lived out the rest of her days in peace and happiness. She made it through all the noise and suffering to something better.
There is a friendly little laser etcher in my art studio now, nestled between paintings and fabric samples and my general everyday chaos. I'm making designs, testing fabric samples, and looking forward to setting the machine to etch fabric and more while I work on my paintings.
These laser-etched rhinos are the beginning of A Rhino in Every Home.
]]>More recently, I started experimenting with using AI art as a sketching device. I'm very careful to make sure that all my end products look like my artwork, whether it's digital, painted, or laser etched. Maintaining the integrity of my work is important to me. Part of how I do that is making sure that I maintain my unique, signature style and am true to the messages of my work.
I'll chat more about AI art later. Today's topic is the laser etching project I'm working on.
Rhinos are my favorite subject matter to paint, draw, and make art about generally. I love their ears and toes as much as their often impressive (and sometimes dainty) horns. There is almost no bad angle on a rhino! They're full of curves, angles, and interesting negative spaces. An artist's dream!
I started painting rhinos back in 1999. I fell in love with them and decided to champion them. I had rhino-themed art shows for years and am beginning to plan another series of them. This is where my laser etcher comes into play.
There are five species of rhinoceros still in existence today. Three of those species are critically endangered. I choose to use my artwork to foster love for various animal species, particularly the rhinoceros. These gorgeous, but often forgotten, animals need all the helping hands they can get. So I donate a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of my artwork to the International Rhino Foundation, and I make art about them. Some of that art ties them to the sacred, as in my Rhinotopia series and my Rhino Moon series. Sometimes, I make art that simply shows how I see them: beautiful, graceful, playful, powerful, and worthy of love.
I decided to bring all my different rhinoceros projects under one theme that is true to the first inkling of the plan I had for Rhinotopia. I wanted rhinos to be everywhere. So I painted them there. They're on the rocky shores of Hawaii, an isolated road in Norway, enshrouded in brilliant clouds, and walking through dreams.
In explaining that to someone, they laughed and said, "Well you wouldn't want a rhino everywhere! I certainly don't want one in my kitchen!"
The thing is, I do want a rhino in my kitchen. More than that, I have three in my kitchen right now.
In that moment I realized that I want A Rhino in Every Home.
So I'm making it happen.
There is a friendly little laser etcher in my art studio now, nestled between paintings and fabric samples and my general everyday chaos. I'm making designs, testing fabric samples, and looking forward to setting the machine to etch fabric and more while I work on my paintings.
These laser-etched rhinos are the beginning of A Rhino in Every Home. It isn't stopping with only what I can do. Even if the rhino isn't made by me, there should be a rhino in your home too.
There's a whole House Hippo trend. Why not a Room Rhino? Why not A Rhino in Every Home?
]]>
What does this have to do with painting, animals, or conservation? Nothing. It's about raising awareness about a debilitating disease that does not get enough medical, or other, attention. (And it almost killed me. No exaggeration.)
Download this infographic for personal use only. Share it like crazy on social media, but be sure to give me credit. This was hard work. Not sure how to credit me? See below!
UPDATE: This is the graphic that you're probably looking for, so here it is in an easy to share and attribute way!
Detail image from "The Endo-Graphic" copyright Sarah Soward 2017 https://sarahsoward.com/blogs/blog/the-endo-graphic
This work is derived from "The Endo-Graphic" by Sarah Soward and her original image on ablation and excision. Copyright Sarah Soward 2017 https://sarahsoward.com/blogs/blog/the-endo-graphic
To use this image for anything other than social media (your website, blog, academic papers) just ask me. If it's for educational purposes, I will say yes as long as you credit me appropriately!
You may not use any of my images or any part of my images or any work derived from (like copying or tracing/recoloring or screenshotting) my images for monetary or for-profit endeavors. Not sure? Contact me and we'll figure it out.
The Endometriosis March happens every March to raise awareness about Endo and to raise money for endo research. Bloomin' Uterus, my favorite Endo blog, raises funds for the Endometriosis Foundation of America. You can donate through the Bloomin' Uterus website and get some sweet, yellow swag
— or —
you can donate directly to the Endometriosis Foundation of America.
— Also —
If you're interested in commercial use of my graphics (or art), please contact me about licensing options, high res files, and permission.
]]>I'm thrilled about this because it's a great location, everyone I've met there (artists and collectors) are fabulous, and it has a positive and historic reputation in the area.
My work will have a spot or three on the wall for years to come! AND I get to have a collection of work in the flip stacks (also called art bins). So expect to find my larger prints and unframed gouache pieces in there!
I'm starting out with Starry Nights, elephant prints, and Tiny Birds.
(Above: Images of my Starry Nights series now at Desert Art Center)
(Above: Detail images of my Tiny Birds series now at Desert Art Center)
Main Gallery
Desert Art Center
550 N Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs CA
If you're interested in one of my pieces at the gallery but can't make it there, let me know! I'm happy to help.
As always, I'm maintaining a robust social media presence to make sure you are all in the loop and able to see my work no matter where you are in the world. You come first!
If you're not up for seeking me out, join my eNewletter mailing list for less frequent updates. I usually only send 1-2 emails a month.
]]>Join me for the Artists Council Exhibition at the Galen!
Show Dates: Feb 7 to Mar 3, 2024
Time: Wednesdays through Sundays, 10am to 4pm
Opening Reception: Feb 9, 2024
Time: 5pm to 7pm
Location: Artists Council at The Galen
72-567 Hwy 111
Palm Desert, CA
This is Artists Councils largest event of the year. It is an honor to be included!
Come on down for the opening or visit the exhibition during its run to see my 36x36 inch painting, Ceres, and all the other incredible artwork from my fellow Coachella Valley artists.
]]>Date: January 26, 27, and 28, 2024
Time: 11am-4pm each day
Location: Kee Gallery
2600 Cherokee Way
Palm Springs, CA
Myself and 5 other artists will be ready to talk art and show you our most fabulous pieces for Desert Open Studios.
I'm debuting the beginnings of my Starry Night series along with colorful new Surreal-inspired desert animal paintings. Prints and signed books are available on site too! I like to have something for everyone. You know, while supplies last.
The artists:
Sarah Soward, fantastical wildlife paintings
Kathleen Strukoff, modern impressionism
Ernesto Ramirez, a new twist to Mexican surrealism
Erich Meager, multi-layered, architectural pieces
Robert Webster, mid-modern facades
Nita Harper, landscapes
1. The grant applications are a long-standing list item. It's hard to get grants for rhino-related art. I'm working on it and also considering finding sponsors. It takes a lot of planning, strategizing, and spreadsheeting.
2. So many details here. I'm not apologizing. Read at your own risk. I write this with love.
The Endo-Graphic was (and is) a labor of love. I created it after my first endometriosis surgery. It took 23 years to get diagnosed since the first time I hauled my teenage self to a Planned Parenthood and tried to get them to understand how bad it was. I love PP, and won't knock them for not helping. A slew of other gynos over the years were equally unhelpful. In fact, no one believed me until my husband came in and complained. Funny, that? (But I digress.)
To get to my first surgery was a gamut of invasive procedures that were horrifically painful. Most were done without anesthesia, not even local. I will spare you the details. It was gruesome and the doctors were annoyed at me for showing my suffering. The nurses were amazing, though, squeezing my hand, shooting the doctors dirty looks, holding my weight afterward because my legs couldn't. Oh wait. I was going to spare you the details. Oops.
My first endo surgery was ablation, where they just burn off the top of visible disease. It didn't end up going well. It doesn't generally go well. There are so very many studies (that go back to the middle of the 1900s) that say that excision is the best option, not burning, not ablation, not medicating symptoms away to leave the disease to spread. We're still fighting for excision. It's better now, but there is always more educating of health professionals and potential patients to be done.
Skipping more details, we'll move forward a few years to when the endometriosis had wreaked so much havoc on my system that my digestive system was no longer functioning properly. I lost too much weight. I couldn't eat. I had every gastro test suggested, and the doctors kept coming back with shrugged shoulders, even after one of the nurses tried to take me to the ER directly after one of those procedures. I should have said yes. I didn't.
It was the same pain I'd been having for months with food, and it hadn't killed me yet. I was still conscious, which is more than I could say about how my endo pain sometimes left me. "The ER is only for imminent death," I thought. I was wrong.
It took me 2 hours to make it back to my car.
And I was getting little to no headway with my insurance company allowing me to move forward with endo surgery. During one long, pain-wracked phone call with them I found out why. My insurance company didn't believe I needed endometriosis surgery because I hadn't gone to the ER for it. 5 minutes before this phone call, I was stifling my pain screams in a Home Depot bathroom. (We've all been there, right?)
So I went home, dropped everything, and called Urgent Care. The short version is that I did end up in the ER, on morphine.
A lot happened before I got my second endo surgery. My legs tried to stop working. My nervous system went crazy. I was hospitalized for a day.
The very next day after excision surgery with wide margins (plus the removal of diseased organs), I was able to eat again. I could walk better (it's still a work in progress). A lot of the pain was simply gone. This was the closest thing to a miracle I ever experienced.
When I did my last follow up with my gastro motility specialist (who said she mostly works with the elderly), I had good news for her finally! She was more relieved than I expected.
She said that if the endometriosis excision surgery had not worked, she was going to put me on a feeding tube.
We just sort of looked at each other for a minute.
Life expectancy on one of those things is...not good.
Then conversation continued. She was one of my favorite doctors, but it was a relief to be well enough to not need her expertise anymore.
In the midst of all of this, back in 2017, I created The Endo-Graphic. One section of it has made its way across the internet and beyond! Some of the people who shared it, did it respectfully and credited me properly. Some did not.
Way too many hours of productive time are still spent tracking down my image and trying to convince people that I deserve credit for my work.
I finally got fed up enough with other businesses using my graphic and making uncredited, derivative work of it that helps them prosper, that I decided to start selling the image.
Selling the image was never my plan. I just wanted to help people.
My good heart believed that the people who shared my image also wanted to help people, and I'm a part of "people," right? Right?
But wait.
It took 23 years for help with endometriosis. Why should I believe that others would want to help me, even in this? Why would I believe in fairness and equitability and sisterhood and that Endo Warriors are a Tribe who have each others' backs?
Folly.
The good news is that about half the people I contact about adding proper credit to the image and derivative works of any part of The Endo-Graphic comply. Some are downright friendly! In fact, if you get the chance, head to Bloomin' Uterus and enjoy the pants off that blog! It's run by a truly amazing and giving Endo Warrior who does believe in equitability, teamwork, and helping others.
The others? Well, they get periodic Cease and Desist emails from me now. It's what I have to do to retain my copyright. I take screenshots of my stolen work, save them to a file. I dig for contact info, make comments on social media posts that are ignored or deleted. Send emails. Fill out contact forms. Rinse. Repeat. You know, Artist Life stuff.
For all the people who respond respectfully and ask permission and give me proper credit: THANK YOU!
Since I understand now that I do not deserve to suffer, starve, or die, it's time to allow this Little Graphic That Could to help me too.
Endo-Graphic merch is available on Society6 here and on RedBubble here.
If you are interested in bulk orders or wholesaling, contact me to work out a contract.
3. Licensing and Print on Demand and more Booooooks!
These the plans for part of my art future. If you are interested in licensing my artwork, just contact me. I love working with teams and in concert with others!
What's coming?
I have a handful of projects and art series in development and in varying stages of progress. I have a ton of art that is already finished and ready for the world, especially my 40+ digital art pieces for The Illustrated Rhinoceros Sutra. Love rhinos? I'm your artist.
All of my art is animal-centric. In 2009, I decided to be a wildlife artist who focused on endangered species, especially the rhinoceros. I just keep painting rhinos! I love them! Over time, I branched out from only endangered animals to wild animals. Every now and then a domesticated animal pops up in an art piece. And that's okay! You know what else is okay? I'm about to launch a series of artwork focusing on domestic cats. Yep. I will paint anything that draws me to it. I get to spread my wings and soar outside the box I built for myself. I mean, boxes are nice and all, but I want to see (and express) the world.
]]>Disclaimer: I have not applied to all of these. I do jury/have juried some of these, and I own and run Wild Heart Gallery. This list is subject to change as opportunities change. I will try to keep it updated and accurate, but I offer no guarantees about that. I'm one artist trying to make a difference, and there is only so much I can accomplish. Enjoy and good luck to each of us!
Annual juried exhibition
Location: Usually at the Mall Galleries in London
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: March 29, 2023
Annual juried/invitational exhibition
Western Art
Location: National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma, U.S.
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: March 1, 2023 for the 2024 exhibition
Juried membership with art exhibition opportunities (often in museum venues?) for members
Society of Animal Artists Annual Exhibition and Special Shows
Location: United States
Entry fee: Yes
Deadlines: January 15 and June 15 each year for Membership, not sure of deadlines for Annual Exhibition or Special Shows
Juried invitational membership with art exhibition opportunities for members
Conservation-specific
In-person and virtual exhibitions
Location: AFC is based in Canada
Entry fee: Yes
Deadlines: ?
Annual juried exhibition that is notoriously difficult to get into
Birds only
Location: United States
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: April 17, 2023
Biennial juried exhibition (even years)
North American Species only
Organized by Ohio Valley Art League (OVAL)
Location: Kentucky, United States
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: Fall? for 2024 show
Annual juried exhibition
Organized by Louisiana State Univeristy School of Veterinary Medicine
Location: Louisiana, United States
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: Summer? for 2023 show
Multiple juried exhibitions per year.
Membership is an option but not required.
Horse-specific subject matter.
Location: United States
Entry fee: Yes
Deadlines: Various
Member exhibitions
Australia-specific wildlife encouraged (not sure if it's mandatory)
Location: Australia
Entry Fee: Yes
Deadlines: Various
One big exhibition and pop-up events
Western art specific, wildlife/animal art welcome.
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
Entry Fee: Yes
Deadlines: The 2022 entry was through CaFE with an April 2021 deadline for entries. Will update this entry when I have details about the 2023 show.
Monthly juried virtual wildlife/animal exhibitions
Full disclosure: I'm the owner and lead juror of Wild Heart Gallery
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: 20th of each month
Monthly juried virtual exhibitions, some are wildlife themed
5th Into the Wild art competition
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: March 5, 2023
Monthly juried virtual exhibitions, some are wildlife themed
Amazing animals 2023 art competition
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: March 5, 2023
Monthly juried virtual exhibitions, some are wildlife themed
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: Various
Annual invitational booth-style exhibition
Notoriously difficult to get into
Location: United States
Entry fee: Probably, but I can't find details
Deadline: Unsure, but the show is in March 2023.
Annual booth-style exhibition
Location: United States
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: June 1 to August 31 each year
Annual booth-style exhibition
Location: Easton, Maryland, United States
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: ?, Festival is in November 2023
Entry fee: Yes
Deadline: February 25, 2023
*I will add more to this list as I have time and as I find more. Feel free to contact me with any additions.
]]>
With Artemis' launch last night, my excitement about the LUNAR CODEX exploded. Again.
My work is part of payload GM1, going to the moon with the Astrobotic Griffin Mission 1 to the Lunar South Pole (The Polaris Collection). I believe this one is currently scheduled for 2024!
The first part of the LUNAR CODEX project is on Artemis. It's the founder's work to orbit with Artemis, if I'm understanding the details correctly.
Each payload of the LUNAR CODEX is a digital time capsule of art in various forms, including painting, video, writing, and I'm not sure what else. All work was curated into the project. My work, Luna, was curated in by Era Contemporary and the physical painting is in their Legends of the Moon exhibition coming up in December.
LUNA is going to the MOOOOON!
For more information on this incredible project, check out the Legends of the Moon exhibition details and the LUNAR CODEX website.
The original painting is for sale through Era Contemporary (see link above).
Prints of Luna are available here.
]]>
This is the kind of pep talk every artist needs! Mine is the text in the blue, lol.
The image reads:
]]>Ashli Kingfisher: You will sprinkle your magic on it.
Ashli Kingfisher: give it just the right oomphMe: I am made of glitter and sorrow lol
This is the kind of pep talk every artist needs! Mine is the text in the blue, lol.
The image reads:
While that isn't my mission statement, I'll consider adding it to my artist bio or at least one artist statement. It's already the foundation for a few sketches for paintings as of this morning. So there may be a Glitter of Sorrow TM collection in the near future.
The Art Thoughts:
I try to make meaningful work most of the time. When painting animals, it's hard to make art that isn't meaningful. Sometimes that meaning is emotional, didactic, philosophical, or something else. Much of it falls into the "something else category" because I like to cross so many different barriers between concepts or fields of interest. I have a series called Rhino Moons, for goodness sake! And my Stellae Errantes/Wandering Stars series is elephants, mythology (or active spirituality depending on your perspective), and astronomy combines with color theory and my sense of humor/poignancy.
So yes. I think maybe that balance of serious concepts and Surrealism with The Ridiculous that Makes Sense to Me is aptly summed up with, "I am made of glitter of sorrow lol."
The Thinky Thoughts:
It's also a solid description of how I phrase my life and maintain perspective. I tend to search out and hold onto silver linings as if my life depends on them. There have been times when that didn't seem like a hyperbole.
Even the sad things are shiny. Even what makes the day hardest to face can have beauty and significance that outweigh suffering. It's that thing where darkness makes the light seem brighter.
]]>It is always exciting to be the recipient of an art award. I am grateful and motivated! Thank you to Camelback Gallery for hosting this event and championing art of so many different genres.
Roar, Tiger in Profile won a Silver Award at the Artist Invitational 2022 exhibition at Camelback Gallery! The painting is 12x12 inches, oil on panel. The original painting sold. Prints are available.
I finished this painting during my extended lockdown phase of the pandemic. It kept me focused, gave me strength, and portrays the determination of my hope for a better future. We are making our way out of darkness.
Be well everyone!
]]>It's official! I'm a corporate partner/sponsor of the International Rhino Foundation! I've been donating to them for about two decades and have watched them grow their programs ethically and responsibly. Their first focus is always on the animals.
The official IRF text is below!
Sarah Soward believes in giving back to critical causes, which is why we donate to the International Rhino Foundation to help protect all five rhino species across Africa and Asia.
Each purchase of art and prints supports the International Rhino Foundation in ensuring the survival of all five rhino species through strategic partnerships, targeted protection, and scientifically sound interventions.
IRF website: rhinos.org
IRF Social Media:
UPDATE: Due to coronavirus concerns, Kennedy Grace Gallery decided—with my full support—to cancel our part of the art walk for March. Stay healthy everyone!
Kennedy Grace Gallery is now carrying a selection of my prints along with originals. They will be for sale via the gallery's physical venue at District Wine, as well as on line via their Artsy gallery page as they are able to get images uploaded. Feel free to contact the gallery directly as well at amy@kennedygracegallery.com.
]]>
Sarah Soward and Rebecca Ney are having a several month long art show courtesy of Kennedy Grace Gallery. The exhibition opens on February 8, 2020.
Painting featured in the bottom panel is a detail of Family. 30x24 inches on canvas. Copyright Sarah Soward.
District Wine
144 Linden Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90802
Organized by Kennedy Grace Gallery, the show features photography by Rebecca Ney as well as a large selection of my paintings. Artwork can be viewed remotely on the gallery's Artsy page.
The exhibition has a varied collection of Sarah Soward's Rhinotopia® paintings for sale, Stellae Errantes (Wandering Stars) elephant paintings, as well as a selection of wildlife paintings. Sarah's oil paintings in the exhibition range in size from 6x6 inches to 36x36 inches.
]]>blu Prints Gallery
300 E 4th St Unit 104
Long Beach CA 90802
Friday, January 31, 2-7pm, Soft Opening
Saturday, February 1, 11am-7pm, Official Opening
Sunday, February 2, 2-6pm, Closing
Download this image for personal use only. Please, feel free to share it on social media.
The Endometriosis March happens every March to raise awareness about endometriosis (endo) and to raise money for endo research. Bloomin' Uterus, my favorite endo blog, raises funds for the Endometriosis Foundation of America. You can donate through the Bloomin' Uterus website and get some sweet, yellow swag
— or —
you can donate directly to the Endometriosis Foundation of America.
This graphic came about after my friend, who happens to run the Bloomin' Uterus blog and organize the Endometriosis March in San Diego, told me about having a conversation with a man selling art. He turned out to be a doctor quite knowledgable about endo (which is not really the norm) and matter of factly stated, "Endometriosis, it's a real problem."
I decided (We decided? I don't really remember. Who cares!) that a graphic needed to be made in honor of this unexpected exchange. You never know who you're 5 feet from and what amazing information, insight, or humor they may share.
]]>My main goal with all this rhino art is to inspire other people to care about rhinos. That means that I need to find ways to make rhinos relatable and approachable. If I also want to raise money for rhino conservation, then I need more options for people than 3 foot by 3 foot oil paintings. I decided to use my graphic design skills, to help spread the message about how awesome rhinos are.
My first shirt, mugs, hoodies, and more in the Unicorns are Real series are available on Society6.
]]>
Hi, my name is Sarah Soward and this is my painting, Mercury.
You’re watching the creation of the painting, starting at the beginning of the process—the initial drawing—all the way through to the end. You get to see how I start a painting and how many layers of paint it takes to get the kind of effects I’m after. For this particular painting it took a lot of layers to get what I wanted, particularly on the elephant.
The reason the painting is composed the way it is, the reason there are birds with the elephant, and the elephant is walking on the backs of the birds, is that I’m trying to relate the planet, Mercury, to the roman deity the planet is named for. Some of the observations about the planet line up pretty well with the mythology of the god. For instance, the planet, Mercury, is the fastest in our solar system and the Roman God, Mercury, was known for swiftness. He was a messenger deity, the god of travelers, and more. I chose to focus on the motion and speed aspects of the stories of the deity. It was important, then, for me to include a representation of his winged sandals, of his Talaria. I didn’t worry about the helmet or hat he wore. I didn’t worry about the staff, but I wanted some depiction of the wings.
Rather than just putting wings on the back of the elephant or on the feet of an elephant I decided it would be more interesting g if I had a flock of birds also traveling with the elephant, traveling with Mercury. This way the elephant could walk through the sky. As the birds get tired other members of the flock could come in and take over and keep the elephant moving, keep the messages flowing, keep the planet moving through space—however you want to think about it. Because, really, your interpretation is at least as important as mine, if not more so. I create an image with a story and I look at it as a starting point for thought.
The colors and the way the light is hitting the elephant has a lot more to do with the planet than the deity.
The planet really doesn’t turn very quickly. One day on Mercury is approximately 58 or 59 earth days. So, one part of the planet is facing the sun for a very long time as it ever so slowly revolves—ever so slowy revolves. To show the idea of that, I made a strong, somewhat extreme, definition between the highlight and the shadow areas of the elephant. I was intentionally a little more mellow about the lighting on the birds.
The colors I’m used are inspired by color enhanced versions of photographs of Mercury that were taken by the Mercury Messenger. According to NASA’s website, nasa.gov, the images were enhanced to better show the differences in minerals, iron content and the like on the surface of the planet. Most images of Mercury that I saw were more subtle than I wanted my representation to be. I wanted to portray the fast moving, speedy, decisive Mercury that’s moving on his way, stands out from the background, gets things done. I really wasn’t looking for muted, subtle colors and was excited to see that I didn’t have to just make up my color choices from nothing but that I could base my choices of hues—of color—on data collected by scientific tools for scientific purpose.
I joke sometimes that I like to use my whole brain, left and right side working together as equals. It really isn’t a joke. I like Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. I like to put them all together as I am able. And I figure, why not throw in a little history of world cultures while I’m at it? Maybe entice people to love an endangered species or two?
I’m not an expert. I’m someone who loves to learn, to do, and to share. So as I keep learning, I’ll keep sharing.
Okay, I think I’m done talking for now.
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]]>What you're watching right now is the creation of the first painting in my Stellae Errantes (Wandering Stars) series called Sol Invictus, which translates—roughly—to Unconquered Sun. The series has 10 pieces planned so far and it’s inspired by the astronomy and the myths behind the names of our planets and our sun. I’m using the Latin for the name of the series because we use Roman deities as the names of the planets in our solar system.
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