Art for World Environment Day & World Ocean Day 2026
Two Worlds Worth Protecting
Two worlds. Two voices. One week to listen.
There are moments that change you, when the wild gets so close you can feel it breathing.
For me, it’s happened twice.
The first time, I was lying face-down on a moss-covered branch in Takayna, Tasmania's endangered temperate rainforest, breathing in a world most people will never see. Tiny fungi villages. Micro-universes tangled across every inch of bark. Beings so small you need a magnifying glass to meet them — and so ancient they've been here longer than we can comprehend.
Then, overhead, the cry of the black cockatoo. Bold and sorrowful. A sound that stops you mid-breath and reminds you: this is what's at stake.
The second time, I was in the water off Brunswick Heads, on Bundjalung Country. I was on a small boat with friends, when a pod of whales came to us, curious and friendly, gentle and very giant. They got so close our heartbeats skipped. Our faces hurt with smiles.
And then, at the end of the day, a tail rose from the surface. A wave. A salute. The thank you and goodbye we didn't know we needed. And just like that,off they went.
Two completely different worlds. One above ground, one below the surface. But both saying the same thing:
We're still here. Are you paying attention?
This Week, the World Is Listening
This week holds two of the most important awareness days on the planet, World Environment Day on June 5 and World Ocean Day on June 8.
World Environment Day asks us to hear the signals the Earth is sending, and to think about what signals we're sending back. World Ocean Day calls for stronger protection of the marine ecosystems that keep our blue planet alive.
I don't think those are separate conversations. The rainforest cools our planet. The ocean regulates our climate. The cockatoo and the whale are both telling us the same story, just in different languages.
As an artist, my job isn't to lecture. It's to translate. To take what I've felt, the awe, the heartbreak, the fire—and put it on canvas so you can feel it too.
The Art
'There's a Universe Inside of You' — Open Edition Print
This piece was born in Takayna, during my artist residency with the Bob Brown Foundation. I spent four nights camped under a Myrtle Tree, drawing the rainforest and all its beings. What should be listed as a wonder of the world is being logged for wood chips and earmarked as a dumping ground for mining waste.
This painting is from a moment of awe — when a flock of black cockatoos landed over camp and the whole forest shifted. It's a painting for the magic land inside Takayna. For every branch, every being, every entangled, interwoven universe that exists in that place.
Every print sold supports continued awareness for Takayna's protection.
'Finale' — Original Artwork
Brunswick Heads, Bundjalung Country. The best nature experience I've had in a long time — and I've had many. They came to us like friends. Gentle and very giant. And at the end of it all, a tail rose from the surface. A wave. A farewell. The tail salute to end all days.
It took me a long time to process what that day was. But I know what it did — it lit a fire in my bones. It's the reason I booked a ticket to Mo'orea to swim with humpbacks, and it's the reason a whale exhibition is coming later this year. This painting is where that story begins.
This original artwork is available now — one piece, one owner, one story.
Why This Matters
I paint what must be protected. That's not a tagline, it's a practice. Every brushstroke is a choice to pay attention to something the world is trying to forget.
This week, I'm asking you to pay attention too. Not with guilt. Not with doom. Just with your eyes open and your heart in it.
Here's how you can be part of this:
Sign the petition.The Bob Brown Foundation is fighting to protect krill — the tiny creatures that feed whales, penguins, and entire ocean ecosystems. It takes 30 seconds and it matters. → [Sign the krill petition]
Shop with purpose.Every artwork purchased this week gives 10% directly to the Bob Brown Foundation. Whether it's a print on your wall or an original in your home, your purchase becomes part of the fight.
Share this post. Tell someone about Takayna. Talk about why marine protected areas matter. The signals are everywhere, and every small action is a signal you send back.
Art for purpose. Always.
Jaimee x