World Oceans Day seeks to inform the public about the impact of human activity on the ocean. In the past 30 years, more than 20 million bottle caps have been collected during beach cleaning activities. These caps degrade very slowly and are a danger to sea life who mistake them for food. Whitepine Studios offers workshops for young children that transform them into socially engaged artists. They learn the importance of conservation and use recycled materials to create unique works of art.
Whitepine Studios marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day. Our Creative Director Kaili, was raised in the mountains of Utah and gained an early appreciation for wildlife and natural habitats. In her senior year of college her final project and thesis focused on de-extinction, the process of generating species that resemble extinct animals. She spent several months painting three 7 foot by 7 foot oil paintings. The triptych lays out a compelling visual narrative that returns us back to a place in the past where mammoths freely roamed in pristine landscapes, to present day zoos that seek to reproduce endangered species in captive unnatural environments, to her view of a future dystopian landscape resulting from limited conservation resources being redirected to an unpredictable, unproven science. It is primarily painted in the style of realism but employs elements of fantasy and symbolism. She used a variety of tools which allowed her to create interesting textures. Her intention was to inspire individuals to become engaged conservation stakeholders and to help save precious wildlife before they become extinct. What will you do to make our world a healthier, cleaner, happier place to live for future generations to come?
