Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie Green

Hi Sophie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I am an artist and a conservationist. I started out working in the film and television industries into my mid-twenties, whilst painting on the side and creating art for fun. After deciding I needed a ‘grown-up’ job, I studied to become a primary school teacher. It didn’t last long! I realised that being creative and making art was an itch that needed to be scratched, so I decided to try and become a full-time artist.

I’ve always painted animals or created art that celebrated the natural world in some way. For me, it was a no-brainer to dedicate my life’s work to trying to make a positive difference, so I focused my attention on that and soon became a conservationist too!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

It wasn’t a smooth journey to becoming a full-time artist, particularly as I was self-taught and became an artist at a point in my life when I had responsibilities, bills to pay, etc. I definitely embodied the ‘starving artist’ persona for a while, before I was able to breathe a little and actually create art out of love for the craft and not just money!

I also struggled with being self-employed and working from home. Not having a ‘workplace’ to travel to made it very easy to just sit in my pjs all day, eating junk food. I’ve never struggled with actually doing the work because I am so passionate about what I do that it’s an obsession. Workaholism is definitely something I’ve struggled with. However, I learnt very quickly that sitting in the dark on a laptop all day, or hunching over a painting for weeks on end isn’t healthy and I needed to develop a bit of structure and work/life balance.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I create hyperrealistic paintings, usually of animals, which raise awareness and money for conservation causes.

One of the things I’m most proud of is the amount of time and energy I’ve been able to dedicate to conservation causes through my art. In 2022, I set up the Impermanence Project Fund (which ran alongside my Impermanence collection and exhibition), which funded vital conservation projects worldwide. I am currently working on my Commodities collection, which will raise funds for the Commodities Project Fund. Being able to raise money awareness for such important issues has brought me such joy in my career.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?

I’m a huge advocate of having a coach, mentor or even a friend who is more experienced than you. There’s no way we can learn and grown without the help of others and sometimes it just takes an ‘outsider’ to offer a fresh perspective on an issue.

I’ve had coaches and mentors who have helped me to strive to achieve everything that I set out to. I also recommend looking for people in your industry or niche who are where you want to be. The advice that I was given was to offer a service or help to that person (or even a fancy meal) in exchange for some guidance or advice. Some kind people want to be mentors and there are even apps to help mentors and mentees connect, but the majority of people are busy and probably don’t have the time to mentor somebody for free!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sophiegreenfineart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiegreenfineart
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sophiegreenart