Nature, Animal and Folklore Art

Welcome back to my art blog! It’s been longer than I can remember since I last wrote a post, but I’m hoping to be back into the swing of things now with more regular posts about my art inspired by nature, animals and folklore.

For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m Sarah, I live in Wales and I’m an artist with an Etsy shop, selling watercolour illustrations and acrylic art. I love nature, animals, particularly cats, foxes, owls and hares and I love mythology, folklore and fantasy. 

Something that really interests me is the mythology and folklore of nature and animals and I have a huge interest in Celtic mythology such as The Mabinogion and the Irish Mythological Cycles.

I feel deeply connected to nature and believe that we are part of nature, not separated from it. Nature has been shown to have a beneficial effect on mental health and wellbeing. Being immersed in the greenery of forests or fields lifts the spirits and lowers stress levels as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system. The human eye can distinguish more shades of green than any other colour due to the make-up of the rods and cones in our eyes. It is thought that this may be an effect of having lived within nature – in forests for example – thousands of years ago. 

I also feel connected to animals, sometimes feeling more at home and at ease with them than humans. We receive companionship and love from them in an accepting, non-judgemental way. If you respect and love animals, they respect and love you whoever you are. Wild animals are such a beautiful part of our landscapes and to share space with one of them can be a magical moment. 

Folklore connects us to our ancestors, the old beliefs and wonderful stories of mysterious and magical happenings. It’s a more enchanted way of looking at the world and reminds us that there is beauty and wonder out there if we choose to look for it: the perfection of the petals of a flower, the tides of the oceans, the communication between trees in a forest through the webs of fungi underground, the grace of a deer bounding away… 

This is my aim with what I do: to create art that inspires love for these things and represents these themes for those who already love nature, animals or folklore. Unique artworks that will never be repeated exactly to provide something pretty to look at that will lift your mood and reconnect you with magic and enchantment. 

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