Biophilic Art

My journey into biophilic art...

Growing up my family owned an art gallery (and an entrepreneurial, occupational health and safety engineering consultancy). During school holidays, I spent time at the gallery helping with picture framing, preparing for exhibitions and writing poetry. I also danced, sang, swam and climbed trees (between visiting milk pasteurisation and other engineering construction sites). As an adult, I lived for about 8 years in an overseas, lake-sided, forest community, which was well known for its outdoor summer theater and annual outdoor art show.

In 2019 I completed a certificate on Healing with the Arts. Between 2020 and 2023 incorporated art creation in an Australian Postgrad. Caring for the Carer nature connection and wellbeing program, which I developed and taught for healthcare professionals. In 2023 I was a social prescribing research associate in the Center for Arts in Medicine (CAM) Interdisciplinary Research Lab, Florida, USA. I'm a published author and former representative for Marlborough on the Top of the South Committee for the New Zealand Society of Authors. I enjoy olfactory art creation, drumming, photography and painting with water colour, in addition to travel and giving back. These days I am also focused on biophilc art; the stories, emotions and actions that it evokes.

You can find more details of my recent passion projects below.

May Marine Magic in Marlborough

Have you been inspired & restored by the beauty of the Marlborough Sounds?

27 April, 2025 - The Marlborough Mermaid was recently spotted outside the Marlborough Art Society for Earth Day 2025. She was searching for land and sea forests and shared inspiring tales and underwater photographs.

You can view more of these photos, and a new video, at the upcoming Marlborough Biodiversity Forum on 25 May. Share your own Sounds stories, art and ideas for marine regenerative action. To RSVP for this free event please see Special Events.

Keep an eye open for other marine-related meet-ups happening in Marlborough in May.

Art on the Track: A Tale of Two Forests (2 min.)

Pop-up 'Art on the Track' - Sharing Stories of Sea and Land Forests

20 Jan. 2025: It's Take a Walk Outside day. Did You Take a Walk Outside? You never know who you will meet!

Over the weekend some walking the QC Track, were surprised to meet a mermaid! She was on the steps of her home on the track. This pop-up "Art on The Track" on 18 Jan. 2025 displayed a collection of underwater photographs from Explore Your Coast, NZ.

The pop-up, outside the mermaid's home on the Queen Charlotte Track, linked land and sea forests. The mermaid explained that sea forests are being eaten by kina. This affects sea creatures including seals and dolphins (and us). The pop-up art aimed to overcome our perceived separation from nature and to incorporate nature into our identity to benefit our wellbeing and that of the planet.

Walkers on the track who stopped included Kiwi locals, and others from Wellington, Australia, UK, Switzerland and the Arctic Circle in Northern Canada!

"That was fun!" "That was creative! I didn't know about the kina and forests!" walkers exclaimed as they continued on the track.

If you weren't on the track and missed the pop-up you can check out the Art on the Track Tales of Two Forests video above.

This pop-up was initiated by two women; one who is often immersed in the land forest and another who is often immersed in the sea forest. They are both explorers, pioneers and leaders in different ways. The underwater photographer and citizen scientist, Dr Nicole Miller is the Founder of Explore Your Coast and also a Wellington TED Talk guest. The mermaid, Dr Debbie Early, is a curious and concerned local who lives, works and plays at her home on the track. Despite this, she has never seen a Māui Dolphin. Dr Early was motivated by this and experiencing the disruption of severe weather events in her area. She recognises that our own wellbeing depends on a healthy environment! In addition, she was also motivated by the IPBES 30x30: Protect 30% of the planet by 2030 and Restoring the Sounds. She is also the author of Forest Bathing with My Clothes On and the Founder of The Art of Awareness studio located at Bluewater Lodge.

There are only about 50 Māui Dolphins left and only 1 Marlborough, Endeavour Inlet Mermaid!

What individual and collective action will you take?

Biophilic Art and the Ocean (30 min.)

Biophilic Art is a process to over come our perceived separation from nature and to incorporate nature into our identity to benefit our wellbeing and that of the planet.

Here Marine Biologist and New York Times best selling author Dr Wallace J. Nichols and I discuss biophilic art and how this relates to belonging, biophilia and blue mind.

(Update 17 June, 2024 - Sadly, Dr Nichols passed away 10 June, 2024. I am grateful he and I had the opportunity for this conversation.)

Background to "Forest Bathing with My Clothes On"

In 2022 I sat down with Dr Vanessa Champion and discussed the joys and challenges of living immersed in the natural world. Here is a 10 min. extract of that conversation.

18 months later I had woven these experiences together capturing journal entries, stories, reflections & biophilic art:

Forest Bathing with My Clothes On: One Woman's Biophilic Journey of Belonging, Wellbeing and Transformation with a Path towards Adapting to Change launched on International Women's Day 2024.

What is Biophilic Art?