The Fox, bronze. See more examples of Ms. Sullam’s art on her website; she is represented by the Chisholm Gallery.Born in Brooklyn, New York, JoAnne Helfert Sullam is a celebrated animal and wildlife artist. Her award-winning works have been featured in the New York Times, Who’s Who in America, Art Business News, “The Best of Sporting Art” in Polo Players magazine, and on the on the cover of The Chronicle of the Horse. She received Special Congressional Recognition for Work in the Arts from then U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Ms. Sullam’s paintings and sculptures have been displayed in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and cultural centers thoughout the country.
An advocate for conservation, Ms. Sullam also writes, lectures, and produces films about wild and domestic animals. She is the author of a children’s book and has interviewed personalities such as Richard Gere, Bobby Kennedy Jr., and concert pianist/animal activist, Helene Grimaud.
Furthering her commitment to her artistic subjects—animals and landscapes—Ms. Sullam is also a license wildlife rehabilitator, and works as an animal handler/consultant. In these capacities she has worked with Academy Award-winning actress Melissa Leo, Jim Fowler of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, the Today Show, and the Martha Stewart Living show alongside animal expert and longtime friend, Marc Morrone.
As a child growing up in the city, Ms. Sullam loved and understood the importance of connecting with nature, but learned about her subject only through books and television. As an adult, she has combined her passion for nature with her love of art, using her work as an instrument for conservation. She has donated her artwork and time to land and wildlife protection and has fostered and placed feral cats and unwanted dogs. We asked Ms. Sullam about her art, her hands-on work with animals, and her educational productions.
“As a working artist, one of my biggest challenges is to maintain freshness in my work, continue to challenge myself, and not allow myself to get stuck in a zone of comfort. I am an explorer at heart, although I’ve never done as much traveling as I would like. Yellowstone Park is one of my favorite places to go in the States. I am always trying new mediums and various forms to best express the point I’m trying to get across.
“First I ask myself, what would be the best way to express this idea: in two-dimensions or three? For me the size, the colors, the form all comes into play. That being said, I find that when I’m painting I do prefer to use acrylic because it is the most versatile. With sculpting I am now experimenting with new mediums but love the lost wax method and casting in bronze.
“I continually push myself to the limits. It is vital as an artist to do this. Of course the icing on the cake and one of biggest rewards for any artist is when someone gets what you are doing. Then all of your hard work takes on new meaning, because you are sharing. If you can carry on and are able to sell your work, even better. It allows you to continue to explore and create. If you can, as an artist, make a difference in the world with what you do—if you can change somebody’s mind, life, have a positive impact on the value of our environment, our wildlife—then creating that piece of art is worth all the challenges that an artist has to face every day.
“Most recently I started casting in concrete, then silver, copper, and gold leafing the work. I love the energy that the little fox and barn owl have and will continue to explore this medium with new sculptures. But in the end, it is the subject and how it’s represented that matters. My interest in art started, with crayon, pencil and loose-leaf paper, and the first time I knew that I could draw was when, with a Number-2 pencil, I copied a drawing of a bulldog in an ad. I think it was in TV Guide or maybe Reader’s Digest. To my surprise I was able to draw it, and I realized that art meant something to me.
Little Red Fox, 2 ¼” w by 2 1/2” h, copper and silver leaf on concrete. Signed on the bottom by the artist. Limited edition of 25 artist’s proofs. $150.00 plus shipping“I started my real art career on my kitchen table, and when people wanted to buy my art it made me believe in myself. I wanted to be better, so I studied at one of the best art schools, The School of Visual Art in New York.
“After that I upgraded my art studio to a horse stall on the North Shore of Long Island, and was often revisited by its previous owner, a horse, who was apparently an art lover. I now have a lovely space in the Hudson Valley that I had certified as a wildlife sanctuary. My art studio is sometimes shared with the local wildlife as a temporary wildlife nursery and with wildlife that walks past everyday. I never run out of subject matter. I do on occasion still go on location to work. My sculpture, “The Prophet,” a horse head study in bronze, was created at HITS, the Horse Show in Saugerties, New York. When I’m not sculpting or painting, I’m writing about animals. I started my own conservation website. I’m also pretty excited about a new project—a book about the human/animal connection titled, Evolution of a Wild Heart.
“I love what I do and just want to share the beauty of life with my work.”
Posted November 19, 2015