These new selections of August 2026 are influenced by my tropical surroundings. Exhibit A is “Journey” with the central hourglass of infinity, to signify an open ended hero’s journey, one made possible through the harmony of nature and biomimicry tech. The art is combined permutations of three original photos of sunlight through palm boughs, a simpler version of which I will publish soon. Obviously this one is a grand tapestry – it has drawn in graphic elements as well, glowing lines to represent rays or lasers. There’s the juxtaposition of the naturally occurring and the human re-invention. In the deco / futuristic style, I edited to play up the vibrant colors.
Palm Husk Contour II is a followup to the prior, celebrating the natural sculptural appearance of this part of an interesting group of plants that provides a lot of different useful materials. This part of the husk has much curvature and color variation, with textured striations. As a result, there are many interesting possible edits with color and positioning. I’m also looking forward to
physical artworks with these versatile materials. Part of the husk, for example, is like gauze with a flexible crosshatch pattern that interlocks with itself. One of nature’s many works of genius that deserves a closer look.
Large format photography of nature’s beauty makes a positive impact in a multitude of spaces. “Warp Speeds” alludes to the aerospace sector, in an op art style. The subject is simply light reflecting on metal, warping with contour and angle. Simple, yet magical. The study alongside such observational art can yield many insights.
That one is a large composite, and so are the crystal pieces. Those are glittering and fabulous, so they make for an easy photo shoot. There’s “Titanium Amethyst” or quartz and the pyrite in “Philosopher’s Stone.” From both an art and engineering / chemistry perspective, the possible combinations and interactions of elements is dazzling. What’s interesting about pyrite or “fool’s gold” is that it also has some amazing properties- in addition to gold – and occurs in naturally intricate geometric formations. It’s also an abundant semiconductor. Hence, the title – that one interpretation of the philosopher’s stone is to see and truly understand the value and properties of what something is, rather than just the comparison.
These are available in different formats, such as metal and glass, here on the site. For ordering, visit the Shop page or e-mail sarah.ikerd@studio-shangri-la.com.
They are also available through TurningArt and SaatchiArt — those sites have a more comprehensive interface for ease of viewing!