Saugerties, New York – June 20, 2022 – As the summer solstice draws near, one local, award-winning wildlife and landscape artist is on a mission to get more people thinking differently about it.

JoAnne Helfert Sullam has been painting wild animals and landscapes in fine oil and acrylic for over 30 years. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and has received special Congressional recognition.

“Too many people think the solstice is only the beginning of summer,” says Sullam. “What I wish more people understood was how it’s actually the perfect time toconnect with nature.”

Through her art, her public speaking, and her writing, Sullam teaches her belief that connecting with nature helps people live with more joy and gratitude.

She’s publishing her newest book, Evolution of a Wild Heart, in electronic format on the summer solstice, June 21, to draw greater attention to these benefits.

Sullam suggests people take time on the solstice to do three things:

1. Visualize yourself giving and receiving specific things to the natural world, as you would give gifts to and receive gifts from a close friend. “What are you giving?” Sullam asks. “What are you receiving?”

2. List three items in the natural world for which you feel grateful for. “Begin this list on the solstice, then adding to it though out the summer season. This will help you appreciate nature and its abundance so much more,” says Sullam.

3. Spend time watching your favorite animal. “Whether it’s your pet or a wild animal,” says Sullam, “it has lessons to teach about moving forward in your own life.”

In her new book, Sullam tells the story of how seeing a wild bird fight for its life energized her to fight for her own.  

The book also includes other stories from the years Sullam spent observing and caring for wild animals.

Sullam says she wanted her book’s release to coincide with the solstice because it, like the solstice, is about recognizing one’s connection to nature.

“We all live our lives in relation to the sun,” says Sullam. “Summer is the time to live in the present moment. Our connections to the earth and to each other and to the gifts of the sun can help us balance our own lives.”

Interested readers can pre-order their copies of Sullam’s book at https://joannesullam.com/pages/books

E-book: https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Heart-JoAnne-Helfert-Sullam-ebook/dp/B0B3BG2QY2/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Brooklyn, New York, JoAnne Helfert-Sullam is a professional artist who specializes in animal and landscape art. JoAnne is an advocate for conservation, an author and producer who writes, lectures and films both wild and domestic animals. Committed to her cause, she has been featured in The New York Times, Art Business News, and Polo Players Magazines. Ms. Sullam is no stranger to television and film, having worked on the Martha Stewart Show; and has interviewed personalities such as Richard Gere, Bobby Kennedy Jr. and concert pianist/animal activist, Helene Grimaud. Additionally, JoAnne has had the pleasure of working with Academy Award-winning actress Melissa Leo and Jim Fowler of Omaha’s Wild Life Kingdom. JoAnne has spoken at special events including The Salmagundi Art Club, Yellowstone Park, as well as numerous schools and nature centers. JoAnne is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, animal handler, and consultant. She currently resides in Hudson Valley, New York.

This powerful memoir details the journey of an artist through an emotional metamorphosis, which allows her to see herself not through her own eyes, but through the eyes of wild animals. Raising, freeing, and painting portraits of wild animals has fostered a connection between JoAnne and the animals whose lives she helps to shape.

Media Contact
Company Name: JoAnne Helfert Sullam
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Phone: 845-901-1163
Country: United States
Website: https://joannesullam.com/