The Florida Aquarium is rated one of the top aquariums in the United States with a focus not only in education about a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial animals, but also in wildlife and habitat conservation work. They focus on safeguarding imperiled wildlife, generating healthy habitats across the state, reducing single-use plastic consumption, and advancing sustainable business operations! I have admired all of the passionate work performed at TFA for many years - even before I officially moved to Florida!
I was over the moon excited when I was asked to create a watercolor painting for one of their newest annual events - the World Ocean Day Soiree and sunset cruise! The project brief asked for a painting that inspired conversation and curiosity about ocean conservation while also subtly highlighting The Florida Aquarium. Of course, my first thought was to showcase one of their most popular ambassador animals: the African penguins!
The African penguin is the only penguin species that nests on the African continent and has remained under the "endangered" status since 2010. The decline in their population is a stark indicator of larger ecological issues, such as overfishing their main prey of sardine and habitat destruction/loss.
The central theme of the painting I created is the enduring and vulnerable nature of African penguins, symbolized through the depiction of a breeding pair. This piece captures the intimate and crucial behavior the precedes mating and raising young, which is essential for the survival of this endangered species. By highlighting this tender aspect of their existence, the artwork underscores the fragility of their population that has declined by 95% since the pre-industrial era, and the critical need for stronger conservation efforts.
The background of the painting contains darker pigments of indigo and prussian blue to symbolize bleak outlook for the future of this penguin species if support for ocean conservation isn’t increased. However, the background directly around the breeding pair is brighter, as if the penguins are glowing- representing that, even among the gloomy outlook for the state of our ocean, their bond perceivers as does hope for the future of our planet’s oceans if important conservation efforts are supported and maintained.
Here's how the final painting turned out!
Titled "Stronger Together"
The actual event was so much fun! We got to meet a few of the animal ambassadors of the aquarium, including a two-toed sloth and an African penguin! The sunset cruise was absolutely gorgeous, and everyone was incredibly welcoming and kind! I had prepared 100 archival prints of the penguin painting for each guest to take home as a memory of their World Ocean Day celebration! I also decided to donate the original artwork to the aquarium to help them raise funds for their conservation work :)
Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read about the journey of Wild Planet Creations! I am so grateful for your support and I hope you're just as excited as I am to continue making a difference for wildlife conservation through art!
Here are a few photos of the World Ocean Day Soiree I took that you may enjoy :)
