Sarah Gilmore

Mixed Media

I’m a Scottish, mixed-media artist living abroad, whose work is shaped by cianalas—a Gaelic word that describes a deep longing for the land and spirit of Scotland—and grounded in my Druidic spiritual path and connection to the natural world. I create under the name Selkie, drawn from the old Scottish tales of seal-folk who could shed their skins to walk among people, but who, once separated from those skins, could not return to the sea. Selkies live between the worlds of land and sea, human and otherworldly, insider and outsider. Like them, I carry a sense of in-betweenness and yearning: a pull toward wild places, and connection to people and place.

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I explore these themes in two main mediums: linocut printing, where I carve and hand-print my designs onto paper, fabric, and everyday objects; and wood intarsia, in which I hand carve, shape, and finish tens or hundreds of pieces hardwoods to create layered wooden mosaics of Scottish and Celtic animals, trees, and symbols.

My style blends fluid line work with natural forms, drawing on Scottish folklore, symbolism, and seasonal cycles. Whether I’m making fine art or more functional pieces like coasters, bags, or clothing, I aim to create art that evokes the stillness, wildness, and quiet magic of the world around us.