Expressions of a Soul

Hello! I’m Shamira from Expressions of a Soul. 

My goal is to bring a little magic into everyone's lives through my work. From acrylic and watercolor paints to acorns and stones, I work to capture the whimsical beauty I see in Maine. I find inspiration from the small and strange spaces in nature; the way a branch curls, the shape of a flower, the shimmer of a spider web in the sunlight. I love to illustrate these small magics in life. 

I continue to find inspiration in the storybooks I grew up with like “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney and “Fairyopolis” from the journal of Cicely Mary Barker. These have shaped the way I see the world. I enjoy dreaming up the world of faeries that could live in our landscape. If they lived in a home, what would it look like? Who lives there?  I often spot bits of bark, acorns, lichen, stones and twigs in my yard that inspire a faery character or story. 

Each of my illustrations, sculptures, faery houses and “trinkets” are inspired by this world of enchanting beings. I have collected many materials over the years from the nearby forest, trails, and even "lost things" at yard sales and thrift stores. (Think: old spools of thread, beads, buttons, and anything else a faery might find "lost" in the world.) My hope is that each faery house looks as though a faery would answer if you knocked.