On the 4th, 5th and 6th October Cornish artists John Dyer, Joanne Short and their extraordinary 'Last Chance to Paint' project took over the Eden Project!
The 'Eden Live' team put together a pop up art studio with a picture window into the Rainforest biome and dressed the space with tropical flowers and plants, huge printouts of John Dyer's Amazon and Borneo art posters, three huge TV screens showing images from John Dyer's expeditions and video and original paintings from the artist.
John Dyer's exhibition of his Amazon and Borneo rainforest paintings can be viewed until the new year 2020 on the wall directly outside the rainforest biome. The exhibition features paintings the artist made whilst living with the Yawanawá tribe in the Amazon and the Penan tribe in Borneo, as well as paintings of orangutans the artist completed deep in the tropical peat forests of Borneo with the Orangutan Foundation.
The 'Last Chance to Paint' workshop was hugely popular with families travelling specifically to attend and to meet the artist.
"It was amazing to see so many families sitting together and creating art based on the Amazon and Borneo rainforests. Nearly 60 children from the weekend have already sent us images of their beautiful paintings for the WorldGallery.online and they join children I have worked with in the Amazon and Borneo who are exhibiting their art on our gallery to remind us all of what they stand to lose." John Dyer.
Many families commented on what a joy it was to sit together and to use art to reflect on what the world stands to lose and how they could make small changes to help like moving to a plant-based diet rather than eating meat.
"This is the best and most relaxing experience I have had at the Eden Project ever."
John Dyer interviewed some of the children for BBC TV and they said:
"We need to save the world and painting will remind us we need to save all the animals."
"If there are no trees then there will be no animals as well, and then no humans."
Families and schools are invited to take part in https://www.lastchancetopaint.com and to use our free resources to inspire them to create a piece of art to exhibit online.
John Dyer's exhibition continues online and at the Eden Project until around the new year.
Last Chance to Paint is proudly sponsored by Procreate and Innova Art and supported by The Eden Project and The Born Free Foundation.
Above: The BBC and artist John Dyer interviewed some of the children and families taking part in 'Last Chance to Paint'.
