Five questions to Mistress Saylie
Interview n°7 : a collaboration with Sardax
Our first series of interviews with Herculé Doré is almost over. Others will probably follow; after all, the BDSM universe is overflowing with exquisite nuances.
During our last meeting, I showed him my sextoys by way of erotic foreword. This time, we comment on the different books that are stored in a display case in the dungeon. There is my first novel, volume 1 of Dom’Innate, as well as other titles relating to domination.
If we’d allowed ourselves to, we would probably have prolonged the discussion until dawn, as each detail could lead to a digression. But duty called. We had to get to the heart of the matter, and what a matter: Sardax.
This pseudonym doesn’t ring a bell? I urge you to keep reading. Behind this easy-to-remember letters lies an entire artistic cosmos ….
In the context of your novel Dom’Innate, you’re collaborating with artist Sardax. Can you tell us about him in a few words?
With pleasure. In this era of creating via artificial intelligence, it seems more important than ever to pay tribute to the human artists. They are the ones who breathe a vibrating and particular energy into their works, as they nuance them with renewed mischief and genius.
Sardax dedicates himself to BDSM illustrations. It is interesting to mention that it wasn’t always the case; at the beginning of his career, he sketched eroticism more generally. Then, his passion for dominatrixes ended up… taking over. *smiles*
I fully appreciate his process, because he wants to surprise; there is this playful side about him that enchanted me right away. The draughtsman knows how to arouse my imagination in an absolutely delicious manner.
A few glances at his portfolio are enough to convince: Sardax is very cultured. A constellation of references traverses, enlivens and spices up each illustration. Celebreality fully takes the place of honour; the person who devours his work with their eyes is never taken for a fool. On the contrary, his BDSM drawings take after the rebus, like an enigma you decrypt passionately.
It seems to me you share a taste for vintage... don’t you?
Indeed. There is a hint of timelessness which participates in the succulence of his graphic recipe. Either because he invokes famous characters (Alice in Wonderland, typically), or because the choice of clothes and scenic elements take us on a trip through time.
When I have my subs under my thumb, or my whip, as I’ve told you before, I am a woman before anything else. Sardax sublimes the feminine power, he stages it at all times, to the point of alternating between colour and black and white. He shows that the quintessential sorority is ageless. It shows that the spanking domina, who makes the male lower himself, confirms that the old stereotype of the “weaker sex” is no more than a fantasized construction.
To get back to the vintage side in itself, I too am a connoisseur. I like invoking the old titles and royal attributions: I am queen to the devoted squires.
Sardax and you are collaborating on the Dom’Innate project. What more can you tell us about that?
Sardax adorned the back cover of the book with his talent. He did so with a singular approach: the scene where Lady Saylie invites a woman inside whilst having “put aside” two subs, that scene you will discover… in the second volume. Enough to tease what’s to come.
I was actually going to ask you about it! Hélène Moreau’s BDSM adventures will go on, then?
Yes indeed! I am adamant on the idea of a trilogy. We deliberately integrated Sardax’s enigmatic drawing next to the synopsis. The readers can expect a lot of twists in book 2. In it I will reveal several episodes inspired by my double life, which is sometimes trying, but always exciting, as a dominatrix.
I could not think about someone better than this great artist to draw about this saga. The much talked about illustration on the back cover plays on a striking contrast. On the right, it feels like a mundane scene, cheerful and neat. However, on the left the tone shifts: two men seem to have their fists and feet bound.
This visual oxymoron really has a playful soul. Sardax not only “shows”, but he gives meaning and captures the essence of the subject. Or rather, the subjects.
Do you have something to add?
Yes. This experience shows how the synergy of talents turns out delightfully, sometimes. It is even truer when you meet around a common passion. As long as respect and kindness remain, an infinity of allegorical marriages become possible.
I invite you to read my novel just as much as I invite you to admire Sardax’s work. And by buying Dom’Innate… you can do both!
