Paintings and Drawings by Savanna

September 2008

I hope this little newsletter finds you well and following your passion.

Instead of a monthly or quarterly news letter mine has become a yearly update, I'm slow at this stuff;) It has been an amazing year for me and my work has taken different directions.  My work is always changing and evolving but 2008 may be one of those turning points.

Since January, I’ve been writing a monthly article for a local magazine.  In the beginning, the topic revolved around art in the Caribbean but it has evolved into stories of what inspires me as an artist in the Caribbean.  I’ve been enjoying the process and the responses from my readers.  The last couple of stories are on the subject of hummingbirds in art and in my garden. The first half is here in the September issue- the second half just came out - October's issue.

In July, I had one of those once in lifetime opportunities... 

Earlier in the year, I had told a friend at the Fisheries and Conservation Department, that if the chance ever came up I would like to cast a turtle - to re-sculpt for a bronze. 

In July I received the call that a turtle had been hit and killed by a speedboat and the Fisheries department was holding it for me in their big chest freezer.  It was a mature female Green Turtle around 25 years old and prior to the speedboat running over her, she was a very beautiful turtle, her shell and skin glowed with good health and she weighed about 250 pounds.  She was the size of a table.  Tourists had witnessed the incident and rushed to her aid and quickly called the fisheries department but the damage was too severe...  It was a somber project, that took 10 non-stop hours to cast - and that with the steady help of a good friend at the fisheries.   

This turtle’s face was so beautiful - I can’t adequately describe her.  I hope my sculpture will be a satisfactory likeness.  I will use this cast as a model, to create a smaller turtle sculpture from to cast into bronze.  I’ve designed a gate with a reef scene and hope to have it available in limited edition by next spring.  A portion of the proceeds will go to protect turtles here in the BVI. and for local turtle awareness programs (so needed).

I never liked speedboats and believe me I like them even less now, I know it is not the boat itself, it just seems to be the boat-of-choice for reckless, heartless, egocentric people. (Sorry, am I ranting?) 

There are smaller bronze sculptures that I hope to have available by spring too.  I will post them on my website www.savanna-art.com as soon as I have them available.  A hint (or you may have already guessed) the designs are all jungle or reef…