Earlier this week, Zazzle artist John Dyer traveled all the way from Cornwall in the UK to the village of Mutum, in the Acre region of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. With him, he brought some high-tech satellite equipment and plenty of art supplies.
The expedition is the first chapter in an incredible new project called ‘Last Chance to Paint,’ which will see John paint endangered ecosystems and people around the world to highlight what we stand to lose due to climate change and deforestation. Throughout, John and his team will connect to schools via technology to share their experiences, paintings, and to inspire children to create their own art of rapidly disappearing wildlife and cultures.
This isn’t John Dyer’s first trip to the Amazon rainforest. In fact, it was here as a photographer in 1989 that he started to explore the world through art: “That adventure convinced me that painting was a more powerful medium to connect to the natural world, and I have painted ever since. Painting allows an artist to not only capture what they see, but also what they feel. That magical place where the two intersect is art.”
Since then, he has been all over the globe as the Eden Project’s artist in residence, from rice fields in the Philippines to the banana harvest in Costa Rica to wetlands development in Australia. Last year, John turned fifty and a book to celebrate his work included a section called ‘Last Chance to Paint.’ It mapped out “endangered environments around the world that I would love to paint: the places, people, animals, and plants we might lose if we are not careful.”
The idea resonated with environmentalists, scientists, and investors, and is now becoming a reality. The first chapter, ‘Spirit of the Rainforest,’ follows an invitation from the Amazon Yawanawá tribe to paint tribal life and the rainforest plants and animals that they interact with. The next stop is Borneo in September for ‘Person of the Rainforest,’ and will visit Orangutans whose natural habitat is being threatened by deforestation for logging and palm oil. Then in 2020, the third chapter, ‘Precious Africa,’ is literally a Last Chance to Paint the world’s last two Northern White Rhinos. More locations will follow over a four-year period.
The Last Chance to Paint team will use live blogs, chats, and video streaming to record their adventures and give schools around the world the chance to tune in and ask questions to the artists, tribes, and explorers. There are accompanying lesson plans to download, and all are invited to paint and submit their creations to an online gallery, which they aim to be “the best and largest art celebration of planet earth by children in the world.”
Asked why he thinks art is such an effective medium for engaging younger generations, John quotes David Attenborough who has said, “No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced.” John elaborates to explain that, “This is exactly what we hope to address, because when a child takes the time to make a piece of art they are pausing to think, to reflect, to look and will start to care for the subject.”
John’s own artwork will be uploaded to his Zazzle store as prints and products, and his royalties from sales will go towards funding future chapters of Last Chance to Paint. He explains how the store is an important part of the project because it lets his message reach even more people: “It’s really inspiring for children to see an artist at work, to be able to ask questions and then to see that artist’s work published and available for sale. It’s an amazing process and the Zazzle platform allows me to make a great variety of art available on a wide range of items that will hopefully inspire and connect those who purchase them.”
We can’t wait to see the new paintings added to his store, and will be tuning in to follow his adventures live from the rainforest this week! Hopefully many more will do the same and engage with the fight to save the world’s endangered cultures and wildlife.
Schools can take part worldwide for free. All you have to do is to register interest here. You can also follow live updates on the Last Chance to Paint blog and social media.
Last Chance to Paint products will be available to purchase in a dedicated Zazzle store, and you can donate directly to the project on this gofundme page.
Matilda is Marketing Manager in the International Team, bringing Zazzle to customers everywhere from Sydney to Stockholm.
