I have a poster in progress for the #jointhepack campaign. I’m excited to be working on a submission this month. The idea is to create an image of wolf as mother, protecting our vital wild nature. I mix real and fantastical in my illustration style to highlight the differences between the psychological wolf and real life wild animals and habitat conservation. I have a great love of the wilderness because I grew up in a beautiful area of California close to many miles of national forest lands.
Inspiration for my image is from classic and contemporary stories, as you see in the image below. The Capitoline Wolf is an image of the She-Wolf with who nurtured the god twins Romulus and Remus, from a myth about the foundation of the city Rome. Where the wild things are is a children’s story about a boy named Max who, when grounded for misbehaving, imagines himself King of a fantastical wild land.
Both of the myths describe human relationships between wilderness and civilization. The campaigns slogan, Join The Pack, invite everyone to learn more about the wild community of wolves. In better understanding their nature we also learn about our own.
From Earth Justice:
The wolf has long been the subject of some of the worst PR in the animal kingdom. The fairy-tale falsehoods surrounding wolves have done a grave disservice to the species and have made protecting the wolf a particular challenge. Earthjustice is aiming to combat the stereotypes about this deeply misunderstood species with the re-launch of its #JoinThePack art campaign. And we need your help!
In partnership with the Creative Action Network (CAN), Earthjustice is calling on artists to submit poster art celebrating wolves for a chance to be included in a nationwide PSA campaign. Submissions must be received by September 30, 2016. Artwork previously submitted to the campaign will also be considered. Earthjustice and CAN will select 10 semi-finalists, and the public will have a chance to vote for their favorites via Earthjusticeâs Facebook page from October 1-15, 2016. The top picks will be included in PSA campaign appearing in malls across America this fall.
The need to change the public image of wolves is urgent. Anti-wildlife politicians regularly cite disproven myths to make their case for removing wolf protections. And these negative portrayals are working: Currently, several pieces of legislation containing multiple threats to wolf protections are working their way toward the presidentâs desk.
Your art can help send a message to Congress and President Obama that wolves are important and need protection. Submit your original artwork here.
