Lizzy is a Portuguese surfer and artist who started to draw when she was little. At the age of 14, she was plunged into the surf universe and directly was enchanted by it. Surf is a way for her to live her dreams, to surpass challenges and to enjoy the power of ocean. When she’s not on her surfboard, she draws. We are amazed by the beauty of her illustrations. She has a very pure style and we love the playfulness of her drawings. But since we are here to talk about artivism, we wanted to present you some of her committed illustrations that deal with protection of oceans and pollution. As she explains on her site, she thinks everybody has skills to contribute for the social and environmental improvement. As a surfer, she feels her mission is to protect the Ocean that welcomes her and allows her to live her passion.
The subtlety of her lines contrast with the strength of the message they bring. With an incredible lightness, she confronts the viewer with the cruelty of our irresponsible behaviours about pollution. We were stumbled by the contrast between the carelessness conferred by the delicacy of the lines, and the sad reality they depict. We can feel that her drawings are inspired from her own experience with the ocean: she was sometimes confronted to some difficulties due to being a girl evolving in a mainly male sport, but she always fought to improve her technique and to integrate herself in this atmosphere she loves so much, and we can feel her passion through her work. We can also feel that ocean is her universe, and that she is every day confronted to the sadness of the situation because of marine garbage. In her drawings, the feminine shapes stand up for a cause with purity and delicacy. They are being overwhelmed by plastic waste while trying to enjoy their passion: surfing. She explained that she decided to make these illustrations about marine litter to show it impact on the health of the ocean and to highlight how surfers idealize a paradise that is being progressively destroyed. As we can read on her Instagram page, “We are responsible for our choices, and only it can change the future. Until we can change the reality, the idyllic vision of a surfing paradise is corrupted, and the promised land of our dreams is compromised.” We love how she is pragmatic and realistic but still express hope. She shows that while we’re being defeatist or resigned, the situation is getting worse and the only way to improve it is to act daily, with simple actions.
Those illustrations were made for the association Surf Rider. Lizzy is responsible of the branch of Peniche, Portugal. We warmly encourage you to check their work and actions. This European NGO acts to protect oceans, rivers, lakes and littorals from pollution and the destruction of its biodiversity. One of the main causes of degradation of the ocean are the outrageously numerous plastic wastes thrown on the beaches or not recycled that end up deep down the ocean. This massive presence of plastic on the oceans, lakes and rivers is dramatic, since it contributes to the increasing degradation of the quality of the water that kills biodiversity and that’s very dangerous for human beings but also for animals and plants. A lot of animals die because they eat plastic bags, are trap into objects thrown by humans or end up with a straw in their nose that make them suffer to death. Surf Rider reminds us that every piece of plastic that is produced never disappears. The situation is nowadays catastrophic, and NGOs like Surf Rider’s must be supported. They organize beach clean-up activities or awareness campaigns in schools or companies. They promote the diminution of the use of plastic in our everyday life, for instance by teaching how to make your own tooth paste or shampoo, without using any harmful packaging or pollutants.
Anyway, let’s support this indispensable fight to protect our lovely planet and all its inhabitants. We very warmly encourage Lizzy to keep on sharing her wonderful pieces, and we invite you to check her Instagram page, which is full of gorgeous illustrations from which emanate femininity, beauty and finesse. We are very proud to introduce to you a woman with such a talent, who puts her art at the service of a crucial cause. In Yes You Can Spray we promote international artists but since we’re based in Lisbon, it’s always a pleasure for us to discover local artists and share their talent with you.
Lizzy:
Insta: @lizzyartwork
Website: https://www.lizzyartworkshop.com
SurfRider:
Insta: @surfrider
Website: https://www.surfrider.eu