What is Animalia?
Animalia is a series of six digital artworks that center around visualizing animal colorations in abstract form. Fond memories inspired my selection of animals, one from each class in the animal kingdom: mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and invertebrate.
Why Animalia?
My focus is on creating artwork that centers around the connection I feel with the natural world. As I've matured, as a human being, I've come to appreciate the wonders of the world around me. From tiny insects going about their days in plain sight, often overlooked, to the more noticeable creatures we sometimes take for granted. Nature, in all its intricacies, is truly amazing. Through my art, my goal is to highlight some of these beautiful creatures that I share a personal connection with.
How was Animalia made?
All pieces in the series are 100% human-made. Each one consists of vector shapes and digital watercolors created using Affinity Designer.
Specifications
Year: 2023
18in x 24in / 5400px x7200px
300DPI
The backstory of Animalia
I started Animalia in February 2023, with the plan to create 6 unique pieces. I had landed in a comfortable place with my style exploration, which had started with De Stijl in June 2022, and was ready to start my first ever cohesive series of works.
My initial goal:
To utilize the abstract style I had refined and create a collection of pieces inspired by animal colorations across the six classes within the animal kingdom: mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and invertebrate.
Ensure the color proportions were accurate to maintain a visual representation of the animal, especially through abstract means.
I began creating the first piece in February 2023 and, by late May, had four completed. I was struggling to finish but couldn't pinpoint why. I felt like I was missing something in my work.
On May 23, I attended a talk by Alison Wong, who curated the West Michigan Area Show. I had a piece in this exhibit, my first, and was absorbing as much knowledge about the traditional art world as I could. She placed a significant emphasis on storytelling, where she described how the narrative of the piece could create a closer connection between the artist and the art.
It was at this point that I recognized I had never intentionally focused on the 'why' when creating the majority of my pieces. It feels so obvious now, but until that moment I wasn't as thoughtful and tended to create on a whim. I didn't feel this struggle when creating one-off artworks but the Animalia series was feeling forced.
With this fresh perspective, I took a harder look at Animalia. I didn't have a personal connection with all of the animals I initially selected and could feel it as I progressed, especially as each piece took 20+ hours to finish. I was four pieces in, but knew continuing meant a disjointed series. I scrapped my work and started over in June with an additional goal:
Select animals that I had a stronger personal connection with. I needed a deeper reason behind my choices.
This shift in mindset allowed me to progress with more ease. It also presented the opportunity to revisit some great memories while creating each piece. With this new goal in mind, the friction was eliminated and the creative process felt more natural, more fluid.
Now, every piece holds a unique significance for me. Among them is my Mom's favorite bird, memories of my first pet, and a signal of summer's arrival. My love for nature is woven into my work and I'm damn proud to share what I've created.
-Sholla
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
My mom’s favorite bird. In spring, she eagerly awaits their arrival. Once they find her feeders I receive numerous photos and videos. This lasts through the summer. Her happiness makes me happy.
American Bullfrog
Winter in the midwest often leaves me longing for summer; warm walks, long days, open windows, and the sounds of nature. There’s one unmistakable sound that marks the return of summer, the bullfrog. A chorus of croaks on a warm summer evening provides a wonderful ambience, and one I look forward to every year.
Siamese Cat
I see the world through an artistic lens and have always found the Siamese cat to be the most striking of all. Their coat is uniquely simple yet beautiful. With several color variations, and let's not forget those stunning sapphire eyes. Although I've had cats, I've never lived with this particular breed. Yet, when I close my eyes and think of a 'cat,' this is what I see.
Bearded Dragon
The first pet I raised on my own was a bearded dragon named 'Sparx'. I learned how to read the needs of a non-vocal animal through his gestures and color changes. He was gentle, curious, as well as a cricket annihilator. I'll always remember that period fondly, even those winter power outages that cut off his cold-blooded heat source, leading me to fret. Good memories.
Blue Tang
Remember ‘Finding Nemo’? I first saw it as a teenager…fast forward 20 years and now as a parent I’ve seen it countless times. Dory, a blue tang, has evolved from “some fish in a movie I once saw” to a symbol in which I’m certain will forever remind me of this period of my life.
Monarch Butterfly
In 2020, I unintentionally attracted Monarchs to my garden. I was intrigued and felt the urge to protect them. Witnessing a caterpillar enter its chrysalis and emerge as a butterfly is one of the most incredible things I've ever seen, and look forward to experiencing every year.
Comments