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canvas prints fish canvas prints nature canvas prints fish still life canvas prints fiji islands canvas prints pacific canvas prints oceania canvas prints south seas canvas prints south pacific canvas prints mangroves canvas prints ecology canvas prints shore canvas prints fijian culture canvas prints tropical wildlife canvas prints reefs canvas prints marine wildlife canvas prints

paintings fish paintings nature paintings fish still life paintings fiji islands paintings pacific paintings oceania paintings south seas paintings south pacific paintings mangroves paintings ecology paintings shore paintings fijian culture paintings tropical wildlife paintings reefs paintings marine wildlife paintings

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While not exactly the idyllic white sandy beaches the tourists are after, the mangrove swamps that fringe Fiji�s coast in many areas are vital to the wellbeing of our ecosystems. Tangles of tall, arching aerial roots provide a natural refuge for breeding fish, crabs, and other marine organisms that are part of the local food chain. Mangroves also protect coastal areas from wave and storm surge erosion. Yet in many parts of Fiji, developers are clearing away these natural habitats to make way for yet another hotel or factory! �Refuge� was painted as a reminder that our planet will only continue to be a safe haven for all of us if �progress� means respecting and caring for our natural environment.

The Fiji Islands are my home, and source of inspiration, as I use dyes, paint, barkcloth, sand, silk and cement to respond in my own creative way to the challenges, tension, and beauty of life in a developing Pacific island nation. Sea changes can have surprising effects: since leaving behind all that was familiar in my American/German upbringing, to build a life here in my husband’s homeland two decades ago, my art has taken on dynamism of its own… My work is awash with the intense, vibrant colors of the tropics, and my themes are often an exploration of Fiji’s stunning natural environment and rich cultural heritage. Traditional barkcloth crafted by women from my mother-in-law’s island village often serves as my canvas. Steeped...