Sophie
Christine
Palmer
Creative Portfolio
I’m Sophie Palmer - a Shropshire-based climate and ecological justice activist, writer, illustrator and craftivist. I grew up befriending butterflies, tussling with trolls and frolicking with fairies in the forest. I remain enchanted by the beauty and magic of ancient woodlands that surround me, and inspired by nature-based solutions for radical cultural change.
My work centres on the intersection of spirituality and eco-action: campaigning for ecological regeneration rooted in compassion for all beings; holistic and immersive education; and the re-enchantment of the natural world through mythology, poetry and art.
In 2021, I founded The Fox and the Butterfly: a fledgling educational organisation for young children. Offering forest-school and Montessori-style resources based on native UK wildlife, The Fox and the Butterfly aims to nurture a deep connection with our living planet through the power of art and storytelling.
Graphite
2020
Wildlife Realism
Medium: Graphite, 2020-22
My first dabble back into art since GCSEs. I began drawing again during lockdown, using my favourite animal (and one that I would often see where I lived) - the red fox - as my muse. I taught myself lots about light, shadow and depth in this period and developed my skills in shading realistic fur.
Graphite, 2022
Graphite
2021
Graphite
2021
This period reignited my passion of art,
and led to a desire to use my creativity as a tool for
social change. Whilst I really enjoyed the process of developing my realism skills, I realised that I wanted to concentrate more on illustration instead.
Character Sketches
Medium: Digital (ProCreate), 2022.
Some very simple initial character designs which I plan to develop into full-scale illustrations. Following my detailed wildlife realism pieces, I tested myself to create a new and unique fox design within the timeframe of five minutes.
These characters may be developed to accompany a future book about foxes/British woodland wildlife and conservation. Or perhaps some fox poetry!
Illustration
Medium: Digital (Affinity Designer), 2022/3.
I am self-taught in basic digital illustration. Below are the initial character designs for The Mother Willow. In this style, I have a further 15 characters on plantable greeting cards which already, or are planned to, feature in themed pen-pal sets. The moths, foxes, toads, starlings and hedgehog will all be developed into full-scale illustrations for the book. To the right is an example of a nursery print I’ve designed - I have developed one for every
letter of the alphabet.
Digital illustration, 2022
Digital illustration, 2023
Print-making
Experimentation into a new medium, following a short workshop. I am keen to develop my print-making skills further, switching from acrylic inks to hand-made botanical inks. I am also looking
to further experiment with block-printing.
Lino-print, 2022
Natural Pigments
I have experimented using several natural paints including coffee & tea, turmeric, spirulina etc. I am
keen to upskill here and learn the technical process of creating inks from plants, and experimenting with colour using modifiers & mordants.
Painting with coffee, 2020
Pen-Pal Sets
Intial prototypes of UK wildlife themed pen-pal sets for children: Nocturnal Mammals, Butterflies, Pond Creatures. In each set, the workbook is highly illustrated and educational, with
ideas and resources for further
creative activities. I aim to partner
with conservation organisations to
create future themes, e.g. River
Mammals, Maligned Creatures &
Re-introduced Species. Each set
contains 1x 8-page workbook;
3x plantable cards & 1x sticker.
Affinity Designer (illustrations) & Canva (graphic design), 2023
Graphic Design: Book Cover/Dust Jacket Design
Below is a mock-up of the cover design for The Mother Willow, using self-taught digital design skills. I decided on a whimsical style for the front cover, using a subdued and earthy colour palette.
Affinity Designer, 2023
Haiku-Inspired Poetry
Mother Nature speaks;
Invites us to imagine
Possibilities
We are storytellers.
Embrace curiosity;
Reignite wonder.
Wonderful water -
Offer us your nourishment;
Replenish our souls
@ Sophie Palmer, 2023