Growing up on a working farm in midcoast Maine in the 1960s gave me the perfect environment to appreciate rural dwellers and develop my love for animals. This love has never left me and I find my life is not complete without them. Hence I have a pasture dotted with sheep, miniature horses and chickens. I find much inspiration coming from either observing the animals in everyday poses or from their personalities to create my art.
At the present I am exploring how to capture these animals in different ways. First I photograph an image of one of these animals, which might turn up as a digital giclee print. Then I may do a papier mache, polymer or ceramic sculpture of the same animal. Now I am incorporating recycled materials as part of the design. On my beach walks, I often collect sticks chewed by beavers or found rusted objects that get woven into my designs. At the end of the day, I sit back and all the pieces make me smile.
There is a great freedom in the art world today to think outside the box, and I find myself always adding to “my bag of tricks” as a mixed media artist. As I ponder my next piece, the challenge is combining the materials. My goal is to create an animal or person who really evokes emotion, spirit and connects the viewer in a whimsical manner. I want my audience to smile at their less than serious nature.
I have studied with some of the best artists in the craft world and have discovered my own unique path combining polymer, paper, wire, wood as well as found objects to create my one of a kind sculptures. Each animal or person makes its personality known along the way, but I seldom know who they are when I start.
My latest project started as a side line to my love of horses. I have spent several years photographing the local horse fairs in County Kerry, Ireland. After having an exhibition there in August 2011 during Puck Fair, I saw a lot of interest in my work and a need to record these precious moments in a book. Thus the past two years I have spent putting my book A Fair Day: The Horsemen of County Kerry together for print. On August 8, 2013 the book launching will be at the Red Fox Pub in Glenbeigh, County Kerry and it goes on sale at Puck Fair August 10-12, 2013.
Sally B. Savage
