Around the World in Fruit & Veg

A new and improved version of this! I really like the way the polar regions worked out in the different shade of wood.

Around the world in Fruit & Veg Details - click to view larger.

They're available as linen place mats here!

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hand drawn nature on fabric, accessories & homeware

  

A new background.

Back in March, I submitted a design for the Joseph Joseph brief. You can see the winning designs here and, although mine isn't among them, I was happy with it. It was the first time I'd used vector graphics and really enjoyed learning on this design but was never satisfied with the blue background (put in at the last minute as a bit of a rush job) so I've updated it to something more me: 

A la Carte on Wood.

I think it makes the fruit and veg colours stand out much better and looks more in context laid out on the chopping board, although it's a weird old mix of photo and vector; still, I like it! Especially the new shadows, which you can see better in the details below. It's a happy coincidence that the crack in the board ended up pretty much on the date line :)

Click for detailed view.

I'm sure I can use it for something kitchen related. I was thinking a calendar or placemats; anyone got any other ideas?

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Forest & Sea ▪ www.etsy.com/shop/ForestAndSea

hand drawn nature on fabric, accessories & homeware

  

Illustration Friday: Reverse...

...deforestation.

Click to view larger.

My painting is based on the rainforests of Madagascar, fourth largest island in the world and sometimes referred to as the ‘eighth continent’ for its unique and diverse wildlife. Only an estimated 10% of Madagascar’s original forests remain.

The following links are some brilliant ongoing projects for reforestation around the globe. Have a look!

• Eden Reforestation have planted 10 million trees.
• The WWF are working on reforestation and the restoration of degraded forests.

There are loads more out there and I'll update this list as I find them. Anyone got any favourites?

Added on the 15th February:

• The Plant a Billion Trees campaign is an initiative by The Nature Conservancy to restore Brazil's Atlantic Forest. Long isolated from its more famous cousin the Amazon, the Atlantic Forest is unusual in that it comprises a wide range of forest types and habitats. For this reason it is remarkably biodiverse and supports many highly endangered species.
  The aim of the campaign is to reforest 2.5 million acres and connect more than 12 million acres of existing, fragmented habitat with new forest corridors. One Dollar plants one tree!

Added on the 18th March:

• David Attenborough's recent series on Madagascar featured Feedback Madagascar an organisation working on a number of projects which include the Wild Silk Forest Appeal. They aim to plant 30 000 trees to support the local wild silk industry and so encourage protection of the endemic tapia forest. And for those concerned about animal rights, unlike the cultivated silk industry, the cocoons for wild silk are collected after the moth has emerged.

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Illustration Friday: Dusty



Oasis

Oasis detail: camels and lizards. Click to view larger.

Cool water at the oasis after a hot, dusty journey! Visit the Illustration Friday website to see everyone's hard work this week.

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hand drawn nature on fabric, accessories & homeware

Good News Everyone...

I've read this week about two points of light on the horizon of an otherwise gloomy landscape of overpopulated continents and habitat destruction. It's so refreshing to read some good news on this subject for a change:

* Although still critically endangered due to poaching and loss of habitat (total world population is estimated at 786), the Mountain Gorilla population in Africa’s Virunga Massif has increased by an amazing 26.3% in just seven years. Read more here, here and here. 

He’s happy about it!

* The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China has reached its goal of successfully breeding 300 bears in captivity and can now begin an ambitious programme to reintroduce them into the wild. Read more here.

Share in the comments if you've heard any good wildlife news lately!

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Forest & Sea ▪ www.etsy.com/shop/ForestAndSea

hand drawn nature on fabric, accessories & homeware