Amazon Rainforest Umbrella

The Amazon River basin welcomed my sister and me as part of an eco-travel group focused on bird and other wildlife observation. We went along the river and looked up high and along the riverbanks for birds, tapirs, monkeys, and more. I saw so many amazing creatures—including the elusive Harpy Eagle!—and I wanted to commemorate the experience with a personal project.

The idea to make an umbrella for a rainforest made perfect sense to me. I started off by drawing the birds and animals, then created eight layouts for each slice of the umbrella. I layered in lots of vines, and added water at the bottom of each panel.

After designing the layout, I carved two 24”x24” pieces of linoleum and then printed them onto paper in black ink. Next, I digitized each layer and digitally layered them together to create the final colorized illustration. Where the two layers overlap creates a third color.

I ordered a physical umbrella and love using it. This was a very special personal project inspired by one of the most magical places on earth.