Helping nature through art

UK-based artist Violet Astor has been to Oman a couple of times but distinctly remembered that the country’s immaculate natural beauty smote her. On what she would call ‘love at first sight,’ her appreciation became even stronger when she explored the wilderness of the desert and immersed herself in the unique diversity of the landscape, the turquoise waters and the rugged, rocky mountains which are habitat to some fascinating creatures on earth. [gallery ids='574951,574950,574954,574953,574952,574949'] As an artist, violet always had a soft spot for endangered species and art is not just a medium of expression for her innate feelings but a channel through which she evokes the thought process and raises awareness that can trigger many people into action. “Oman is a wonderful country, and the biodiversity is amazing that pulled me to this land over and again. The people are wonderful, generous, and kind, and the architecture is brilliant while the surroundings are comfortable. The different varieties of landscape are even gorgeous, and I’m always intrigued by the Khareef, the beaches, the turtles, and so on,” she shared. She has seen first hand and observed the Arabian leopard, the oryx, and the ibex and felt that the wildlife of Oman is unique. “The Arabian leopard is a sublime animal, and not many people have seen or understood the life of the Arabian oryx, leopard and other animals seen in this part of the world. My paintings are of several animals including the ibex, humpback whales and the Egyptian vulture which are matchless,” Violate said. A self-taught artist who discovered drawing in her earlier years, it became a therapeutic medium of healing when she got chronically ill with Lyme’s Disease. “I discovered the sickness about five years ago when I became sick of a bacterial infection from a tick bite and was home for the next four years. During this time, I told myself that I was meant for raising awareness on endangered species on earth through my favourite medium — art,” Violet said. “Those years, I had long dreamed of filling my days with the things that bring my soul to life: wildlife, art and travel. Following the disease, I decided that the time had come to blend these three passions in a way that support the things I love so dearly,” she added. She produced extensive and detailed charcoal drawings combined with natural materials found in the environment of her subjects. Her particular interest is in travelling to the wild corners of the planet to see endangered species with the aim of producing bodies of work to raise awareness and funding to support their survival. “When you have all the time that the world has to offer, you have the patience to go in detail, and I had the time, and I had the ability to be patient. I then was able to travel and collaborate with consolation projects around the world,” she said. She went to countries like India, where she saw tigers and leopards, and she visited places where orangutans were seen and helped raise awareness. “I feel that those years of remaining indoors were as painful as it was, but it made me a different person altogether. Today, I feel I am the luckiest person in the world because I have the ability to travel around the globe and contribute to the noble cause of protecting the wildlife which is at the verge of extinction. In association with the Environment Society of Oman (ESO), she will be conducting an Omani Wildlife exhibition at the Sayyid Faisal Bin Ali Museum under the auspices of Ministry of Heritage and Culture from November 4. A percentage of the proceeds during the exhibition will go to the Environment Society of Oman. “I want to celebrate Omani wildlife, first because some of the creatures are really unique which many countries won’t even have. And also, with ESO, to recognise their conservation status, whether they are endangered or whether they are not on the list, how Omani residents can support. I feel that wildlife and artworks will inspire the children and will take a lesson or two on how they can support wildlife through art. Hence, there will be a public tour on November 5th, where school children will be given glimpses of the exhibition.” She uses charcoal mainly, on recyclable paper and coffee cups, natural materials from the environment to give the artwork an authentic feel. She makes large paintings, and each one will be at least 85 X 60 cms of size. “All my materials and papers are natural, and it takes at least two months to do a piece, and a lot of blood and tears go into it. I’ll be donating an extraordinary work to the country and limited edition of framed pieces of all the artwork to the Natural History Museum to be kept inside the museum,” she said.