Benton County News

So, remember the mural I painted last summer?  I finally told my hometown newspaper about it.  Thanks to Mom's help, she passed on the info.  Here it is:

Former Foley Student Leaves Her Mark On City Walls
 by Bev Sandy

Over the past 9 years, while traveling across all 7 continents, including most of the USA, Rachael (Sorenson) Shores, has often  often traded her artistic ability for food and a room.  She could be seen fishing in Alaska, or riding a bus along the bumpy roads of Nepal, but never without her camera and sketch pad in tow.

Now, a little more "settled" in an artist community in Asheville, North Carolina, Shores feels she is living a miracle. . .doing what she loves in life.

How did this 32 year old North Carolinian end up painting a mural in Oil City, PA?  While hiking along the Appalachian Trail a number of years ago, Rachael met the owner of the Mosaic Cafe.  They decided the outside, 1,000 sq. ft. wall of the building needed some life.  After doing some research about Oil City and the city's rise to fame in the oil industry, and how the recent economic turndown has challenged the community to "overcome" she began her month long work.

Rachael believes in sharing her artistic ability in an effort to inspire thought - long after the artist has gone.  She wants her work to present a message.

"It just keeps blowing my mind that these experiences are working out, I really have been very lucky," said Shores.

Rachael attended Foley from 6th-10th grade, but said she really found her niche when she transferred to Lola and Rudy Perpich MN center for Arts Education High School in Minneapolis, graduating in 199[7].  Her parents are Randy and Valerie Sorenson, of rural Foley.  Rachael is recently married (  to a man she worked with in Antarctica), and has begun a new adventure as a massage therapist in Asheville.

Locally, in her earlier life, Rachael's mural art has been seen at the Foley Nursing Center, on the Silverness garage door at 141 Hill Ave., and at the former Jefferson Middle School in northeast St. Cloud.

You are welcome to follow Rachael's art and read more about the mural and/or purchase prints of her work at [this blog].

Information submitted by V. Sorenson, found on roadsparrow, and in "The Derrick", Oil City, PA, newspaper article.  

After all this time I got to announce it to my Midwestern roots what I've been up to all these years.  When I first started traveling I wanted to have a column in this local paper to share about my adventures.  I never pursued it, I assumed it was too arrogant but I liked the idea of these generations of farmers that have lived in the same town reading about some crazy 20 year old girl gallivanting around the countryside.  Don't you think?   I did travel for personal reasons too but I feel like adventures are meant to be shared, that the story telling and lessons learned along the way are for everyone.  I hope you are finding and enjoying the adventure in these blog posts. 

My Road Map

Road Map 20x30 watercolor

When I was first married I got a temp job working random shifts filling in at no set time with no set days off.  My sleep pattern was completely random and I was detached from the world as I simply slept whenever I could unwind from a shift.   I had a new life as a wife in a new town and a new place.  I hadn't painted in months, there was nothing familiar in my life.   After a long period of this I finally got a break to visit my old stomping grounds and to break out my paints.

I was SO excited to be free that I poured out the colors straight onto a full sheet of watercolor one afternoon.  It was a serene day, I wasn't using a paint palette.   I painted out on the deck and just moved colors around as I reflected on my week. "I hate my job, I hate my job, I hate my job" was my mantra while I painted.   I didn't even give myself the pressure of composing a picture.  I didn't care what the result was, I just wanted to feel like I was creating again.  My head chatter about my job became more of a sing-song lilting tune.  While I hummed to myself and mixed colors I thought of the bright future, of figuring out what I wanted and how to get there.  I began to see it appear on paper.  The darkest areas of the painting is where I started.  I mixed colors to mud but edges began to take shape, colors pooled and water effects emerged.  I began to see a plan for my painting as a plan for my life began to form in my head.

This painting became a street map for my life. All those little stagnant boxes and boundaries trying to crowd me in, I just had to keep navigating around them and stay out of the social boxes of expectation.  I just need to find my way to that one bright red path, the up and up. That is my way, my future, and where I need to focus, the high road, the big plan. I just need to follow that to opportunity, happiness, the straight and narrow.  Even if you can't always see that path directly, even if you have gone down some lonely side road, it illuminates the crud around and shows where you don't need to be. Even if I'm not on my path it's brightness illuminates the way and is a guiding light back on track.  This original painting hangs above my couch in the living room.  I have often caught site of my map when I am faced with a decision and it's a comfort to see that whatever dreams and goals I have are within reach, I just have to navigate.

Someone that follows the meanings of colors explained to me the representation of colors.  She says green represents healing "Green is the color of balance, healing and hope. It brings peace and harmony into our lives and rejuvenates the soul." according to beading-design-jewelry.com.  I like that.  According to the same website red symbolizes action, confidence and courage, determination to go after your dreams and the power to achieve goals.  It's verb is "I have" while purple's verb is "I know".  Finally, purple, as in the glow around the red path:

"Purple is a favorite of creative people. Whether wearing it, living in it, or creating with it, purple is a color for the adventurous heart with spiritual leanings and a flair for drama. This is the heart that knows the magic of purple.
Purple is a combination of blue and red. Red is a focusing, dynamic and active energy while blue is cooling, calming and passive. The coalescence of liveliness and tranquility allows more creative energy to emerge. For this reason, purple is associated with imagination and inspiration."

I think back to when I was little.  Purple was MY color.  No other color .  There wasn't even a question.  Now I'm too indecisive to pick a favorite color.  Partly because I feel all this symbolism skews my opinion but I also love combinations.  Like I love red and blue together.  One day scarlet and ultra marine will be everywhere in my house.   I guess everything is connected.  Have fun in finding the things in your life that bring meaning and a deeper understanding of yourself.  Maybe this painting can have a similar message for you.  Enjoy.



If you need your own map, a print of this painting is for sale at my Etsy store, SparrowsHand at etsy.com. Thanks for stopping by. 

Carrie's Surprise

remember this?

Do you remember seeing the sketch of this in 2011?  The surprise commission from her mother?  Here's some of the pictures I took as I visited Carrie at work.  Isn't it such a beautiful sight?  Well, now you can see the picture completed,  Eliada Home and all the helpers.  That's my hiking partner Carrie from the Appalachian Trail, and her daughter.   This is my "storybook style" of the farm across the street of where I live.  I hope you like it.

Eliada Home is a farm for troubled children.  Carrie runs the animal therapy program.  She always talks about me painting pictures of people's farms and their animals and then her mother surprised her with this piece.  I was so happy to be a part of it.

Eliada's Animal Therapy Crew

Book of Mullet

Translation: "Business in the front, party in the back"

The first Mullet painting painted of the series.  I could see myself doing a mullet to a lot more iconic paintings.  In my research I found so many old religious paintings that I would love to repaint, just for the experience.

 The show is just about over.  It comes down this week.  This is the last mullet picture to show you. Maybe one day I will come up with some more ideas.  Prints are for sale on Etsy and there will be more up for sale soon.   I've had a lot of fun doing this show.  Thanks all for your help and for coming out to see it. 

Shorn Again

Latin Translation:  Shorn Again 8x10 watercolor

Shorn Again. There's really nothing to say or explain about this painting.  Enjoy.

Part of the Sacred Mullet Series up at the Beehive in Carrboro, NC till Feb. 29. 

Comb ye Little Children

Comb ye Little Children 8x10 watercolor

My husband was actually an inspiration for this painting.  He has all these school pictures as a kid with a rat tail.  I really wanted to bring back the rat tail and what place does it fit better in Bible story form than with the combing of the little children?  So here it is.  Also, my hubby's little brother had quite the curly head of red hair as a toddler.  I just pouffed it up a bit for the illustration.   I did have a lot of fun with this, changing up the facial hair and all that.  This is also my first officially sold original.  The originals are for sale while they last. 

This is not in print yet.  Prints will be for sale March 12 after the show has ended.  I'll post an up date when it is. 

Mullet Ascension

Mullet Ascension 8x10 watercolor

I think I'll have to redo this painting one day.  I sort of got distracted by my hairstylist friend and her style.  It was so much fun and so easy to work her shop and her into this painting.  I was so excited when I came up with this idea.  A levitating mullet!  And my favorite is bringing in the modern to reflect the iconic painting.  My favorite is the flip-flops on the floor, explaining why the client is barefoot as he floats away.  I think I was getting tired of formal lettering too.  I just wanted to be funky.  It's still Latin and this is the correct Latin,  on the authority of a real Latin teacher, Erin Baldwin, thank you SO much for your help.  It's been so fun scheming with her.  This Latin phrase translates to: "Bless the hairdressers, whose purpose it shall be to produce mullets".  This is the first painting her knowledge was able influence.

I still like this painting and I'm really happy with it but it might be a bit of a stretch to get the Biblical reference.  Or maybe it's just perfect.  Discuss amongst yourselves:  the modern upbeat painting with the subtlety of religious undertones. How does it work?


This will be available as a print on Etsy.com after March 10.  I'll be letting you know.