Sandra Merwin

AHA FOUNDING MEMBER

"All Things Bright and Beautiful
 All creatures great and small;

Animals and art enrich my life with meaning.  Art Helping Animals bring these two entities together in a way that I can give to both the art and the animals. 

As a child growing up in Montana, I used to sit in the clover fields and watch the rabbits.  From the rabbits I learned stillness.  As I practiced stillness in the silence of the flowering clover, the rabbits came to accept me, hopping around me and climbing in my lap with curiosity.

My understanding of a deep spirituality began with animals.  In the cold winter, in layers of clothing, I lived in the small barn with my horse, cats and dog.  I watched their breath vapor as it hung in the air.  If I took a deep breath, and exhaled, my breath vapor would mix with theirs.  And this was the beginning of my personal belief about life.  Breath means spirit and the mixing of the breath and spirit is what connects us.

One of my most meaningful experiences with animals occurred, I was walking near the Bob Marshall wilderness.  As I came abreast of a small tree, a Goshawk chortled.  The Goshawk was within 2 feet of my head when I turned.  We were eye to eye.  The Goshawk was huge, the size of an eagle.  The talons were huge.  Large claws and a fierce beak startled me.  Then it was as if I was with the rabbits.  I practiced soft breath and stillness.  He looked at me.  I looked at him.  He seemed curious about me and made low almost chirping sounds.  I made low chirping sounds.  He cocked his head.  I cocked my head.  The minutes ticked by and I was transformed by his power and dignity.  It was an enormously hot day and I was standing in the sun.  After 15 minutes of standing in the heat, sweat dripping into my eyes, I had to move.  I said, “Thank you for this time, but it is so hot I must move to the shade.”  I moved slowly and backed away.  The goshawk watched.  I turned and started walking away.  The goshawk popped his wings and flew three feet off the ground in front of me, so close that I could feel the air when he moved his wings.  He flew ahead of me for quite a while, then suddenly with one large movement of wings was airborne and above me, then he was flying higher and higher until he was gone.  I went back the next day; he was there.  He circled me, flying low and making his chortling call coming within a few feet of me before flying away.

All thing wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all."

Bio

Sandra Merwin is known for her dramatic motion and bold confident paint strokes that convey spirit and energy. Her paintings have graced the covers of four magazines: "Today's Horse", "The City Magazine", "Today's Pet" and "Animal World USA". She has won numerous awards and was featured artist: at two galleries. Her painting of the "Jag" was commission by The Humane Society of the US and belongs to the Governor of Montana.

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