A large blank white canvas and a painting of a giant orca adorned the Northern Beaches studio of artist Jaimee Paul. Beside the white canvas was a photograph of The Map to Paradise poster.
Last Friday 4th January 2019, we were very excited to begin the New Year with a visit to Jaimee’s studio where we witnessed her first strokes on the blank canvas for the Bigger Than Us art exhibition, which will launch 23 May 2019 at the Sydney Road Art Gallery.
The exhibition will feature renditions of b-roll from The Map to Paradise ocean documentary to help raise awareness about the film’s educational campaign to #RestoreParadise and #KeepPlacesWild.
When Jaimee approached us with the idea to work on a collaboration with The Map to Paradise, she told us it was because attending an avant-private screening of the film had a profound influence on her.
Jaimee said The Map to Paradise is such an impactful film.
“We must now behave like the Pied Piper, spreading its positive message of awareness, hope and empowerment,” said Jaimee.
“Art, image and photography speak a universal language, connecting deep with audiences.”
She said the film represents the idea that a solo person or entire community, no matter how big or small, can start a movement or can create a tiny change that ripples out around them.
“It’s about asking the individual to seek what it is they can do, and to discover the impact that one person can make is endless,” said Jaimee.
“The possibility of change rests on our own ability to believe that we can do it.”
Since the beginning of making The Map to Paradise, we have been collaborating with a number of talented artists for the film design and for its outreach campaign, including with Emmy award-winning music composer Daniel Clive McCallum; artist Jackie Sherwood; illustrators Anna Outridge and Mia Grimaldi; jewellery designer Yuna Kim; creative designers Harriet Spark, Guillermo Fernandez, Young Lee and Catfish Creative.
Further below, we have shared some memories from the mother and son art exhibition back in 2017 by co-director James Sherwood and artist Jackie Sherwood called Mother Ocean. It was created to help raise funds and awareness for The Map to Paradise.
You can find artist Jaimee Paul and The Map to Paradise on Instagram and Facebook to follow the art-making journey for the new exhibit. More details about the Bigger Than Us exhibition will be released soon.