Paintings and Drawings by Savanna

Tropical Rainforest and Caribbean Marine Life

Bits and pieces of my life... and old photos of past creations.

When I am observing nature on location, I paint in watercolor or draw in ink.  When I’m in my studio it all changes, sometimes only to do a rework in the same medium, but more often I wait and let the fresh sketch filter through my dreams and evolve into a completely new composition and different medium, more surreal but no less detailed.  That process I cannot explain, it is an amazing metamorphous.  My sleeping self is much wiser and in more control of the medium and composition than my conscious self, which is a bit disappointing but a fact I've come to accept.  I simply paint what and how my sleeping self has dictated - and it all goes smoothly. 

A gallery owner once told me that I needed "to stick with painting pretty dolphins and tropical fish."  For the 3 years before her sage advice, I had worked on a series of Caribbean reef fish and dolphin scenes from dreams.  Dreams I'd had - after frequent dives while living in the Cayes of Belize and Honduras.  I was wholly immersed and in love with the turquoise sea and all of the marine life there, I could have turned into a mermaid, it was not for lack of sea time.  

Then, after years of living on the beach of a small island off the coast of Belize, I moved into a tree house high in the rainforest.  Naturally, my work changed, I hiked or canoed almost daily and I painted the tropical wildlife and exotic flowers in front of me.  This change of subject matter was so upsetting to this gallery owner, that when I arrived to do a solo exhibit, she snapped and said, “without galleries artist are nothing" and that I should take her advice, paint what she wanted to sell, or starve.  I am rather naïve, I sort of thought that was reversed, but either way the bottom line was - that I no longer painted what she wanted to market.  It was an infuriating experience, combined with insult - was the cost of flights and the challenges of shipping artwork to the exhibit, and the fact that she had seen my newest work before the show was scheduled.  Anyway…  

I was living in a tree house, at the edge of a river, with orchids and bromeliads dripping from the branch that was supporting my perch (my front porch), waking daily to the chatter of toucans, flocks of parrots and rambunctious monkeys.  Painting fish would have been rather tough and not living the beautiful day that surrounded me.  Still I know, I am stubborn, painting for myself and not for a market, and I was quickly putting myself out of a gallery and income by not acquiescing.  There had been times, especially in the beginning, when I had lived on fresh caught fish, rice and coconuts.  I knew I'd manage. 

As for the gallery owner, she was only one of several at that time that represented my work so I was not devastated.  But I did change my approach and started doing my own solo exhibit once a year, which was surprisingly much less stressful and equally if not more successful. Combining that with the World Wide Web, I am happy she gave me a push. 

So, if my work looks like an eclectic mix of subjects and mediums it is because my life is eclectic.  For 10 years, I lived in Honduras and Belize and it changed my view of the world.  My life and hobbies expanded.  I was diving, sailing, studying the tropical flowers, rare and exotic birds and animals of Central America, and reef fish and creatures of  the Caribbean Sea.  I have a need to know names, I'm not content with blue fish or yellow bird so I'm always with a field guide of one form or another.  I was completely enchanted with hiking along rivers and playing in waterfalls, climbing Maya ruins, studying hieroglyphs and assisting on digs, learning to fly like a bush pilot and land on roads in the jungle when helping the local Medi Vac team on emergency runs.  And this is the short list, I hopped around Central America and absorb the diverse cultures and scenes like a big sponge.  My life expanded and for a time it was my heaven on earth. 

Then, with an offer from a gallery in Australia - as an impetus, I moved for a year to the North Queensland Coast, to experience a different culture - see an ocean of new reef life and be astonished at the unique creatures of Australia.  If you have not gathered yet – the traveling bug bit me early in life.  Being immersed in a new culture is a big elemental force in my life. 

From Oz, I moved back to the Caribbean for a year or so, then to the shadows of the great pyramids of Giza.  Yeah, that was a full 180 but I needed the cultural fix of something entirely new and unexpected.  My growing hobby of archeology was the main draw, though I spent near equal time between the Cairo Museum and the Zoo where the handlers and keepers became so accustom to looking over my shoulder at my sketches that I was invited in to feed the baby tigers and a massive old loveable Asian Bear.  My Arabic practice was a grand entertainment for them and a daily challenge to me, Inshallah.  I can say my best most practiced language is lost tourist sign.  My Spanish is beautifully mastered to the level of a three year old, and my Thai is limited to greetings and ordering food and drinks (so I don’t risk a major social blunder or accidentally sell myself into the slave trade) and my Australian is even less - though I do try.  After 8 months in Egypt, I was starting to need the sea again…  There is a lot of beach in Giza, but to get to the sea - it is a bit of a hike. 

From there I hopped around the west Indies for a few months, feeling more restless than ever.  Noel Coward said, " My body has certainly wondered a good deal, but I have an uneasy suspicion that my mind has not wondered enough." 

I moved to the Gulf of Thailand for a year, and settled into a house on the beach in Mae Nam, Koh Samui, Thailand.  No, I am not wealthy -selling my artwork is my only income. But compared to the rent in say St John U.S. Virgin Islands, I could pay my lease for the year - on a nice two-story stucco home on the beach in Mae Nam, for the equivalent of one or two months rent on a shack in the bush in St. John.  For any artist or writer that is incentive enough, but I also wanted to see and experience a bit of Asia, expand my naive Cracker Jack understanding of Buddhism, scratch my archaeological bug bite, and I knew well the benefits of having a base camp centrally located - like I did in Belize. 

Funny thing happened, my life support box of paints took a long solo tour of Asia, before arriving back at the Airport in Koh Samui – AWOL for weeks.  In the mean while, I started a novel about life in Central America… and it ruled the creative energy for next year.

Then, as life is known to do – it threw me a curve ball that hit me hard and knocked me off my feet. My dad suddenly passed away - from a heart attack… so I flew home.  For a daddy’s girl it was an unimaginable life-shattering blow.  After a couple of months trying to catch my breath (which I knew was simply impossible) and try to keep my mom together (49 years happily married) by helping her get on her new shaky widow's feet.  I eventually had my things from Thailand shipped back, and went to visit old friends for a couple of weeks in the BVI - to sail and contemplate the – what, where and whys of my life.

The beginning of a new chapter that I am still working on... 

Let the Beauty we love be what we do.  -Rumi  

I believe that “doing what you love” can change your life in ways you cannot imagine.  For me the most amazing benefit is that it connects me to wonderful people that share similar passions.  I believe I am very fortunate that what I do, draws them into my life.

Welcome to my corner of the world. 

If you have any questions about any of my work please feel free to e-mail me at info@savannasgallery.com

Savanna

More ...About   and behind the paintings ...Dreams