SEQUIM — One of Sherri Lewis’ recent wooden murals, a circular view of two young elephants, drew a price far higher than her hopes.
Today she’s elated — though Lewis won’t be keeping any of that money.
Her piece, named “Ashaka and Kamok” after the elephant pair, was auctioned online to raise money for a cause that captivated Lewis many months ago.
She donated it to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an organization that cares for motherless elephants and rhinoceroses, animals that have lost their parents to tusk and horn poachers.
Lewis hoped to raise, oh, $700, in the 13-day online auction earlier this month.
The winning bid, she reported, was $6,000.
The bidder’s name wasn’t available from the Wildlife Trust, which is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Information about its activities, however, is abundant at SheldrickWildlifeTrust.org.
The site has profiles of the scores of baby elephants and rhinos it fosters, as well as details about its efforts to stop poachers and protect Africa’s endangered animals.
As for Lewis, all she could say in light of the auction was “so happy” with four exclamation points.
As she did prior to the auction, Lewis also makes smaller items for people to buy in support of the Wildlife Trust, including refrigerator magnets bearing the “Ashaka and Kamok” image.
On her site, SundogMurals.com, these are sold out. But the artist offers plenty more: note cards and other magnets with her murals of young elephants and rhinos.
Twenty percent of proceeds from these items goes to the Sheldrick trust and to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, a rescue organization for rhinos in South Africa.
In a way, it’s ironic that Lewis, who lives out in the country west of Sequim with her partner, Kelly Thomas, would attract international attention to her art.
She is happy to be in her studio, working with maple, pine, walnut, cedar and mostly online sales.
Her work is available at Wild Birds Unlimited in Gardiner, but Lewis isn’t one to do the art-festival circuit.
Instead she focuses on the things that are most important to her: making original murals, no two pieces alike, and supporting the animals she loves — “the cause which has grabbed my heart,” she says, “and in turn, my art.”
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
