St Cuthberts Mill : Artist Interview: Venetia Higgins' Amazon Rainforest Collection

There are few studios more inspiring, or more challenging, than the heart of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. For artist Venetia Higgins, two months spent painting at the Manu Learning Centre became far more than an ambitious artistic expedition. It was an opportunity to reconnect with a place that had shaped her years earlier, celebrate one of the world's richest ecosystems, and use art as a powerful tool for conservation.

Working exclusively on Bockingford® Cold Pressed White 425gsm paper, Venetia created an extraordinary collection of paintings featuring endangered and iconic species from the Manu Biosphere Reserve.

Watercolour miniatures by Venetia Higgins
on Bockingford

From chance encounters with armadillos, tapirs and tree snakes to the practical challenges of painting in tropical humidity and racing against sudden rainforest downpours, every artwork tells the story of a remarkable landscape and the ongoing efforts to protect it.

Ahead of the collection's launch, we spoke to Venetia about returning to the Amazon fourteen years after her first visit, the wildlife that captured her imagination, why careful paper preparation proved essential in the rainforest, and how this deeply personal project became a celebration of both ecological restoration and the restorative power of creativity.

What a great adventure spending two months painting in the Peruvian Amazon - how did this ambitious project first come about?

Before becoming a full-time artist and curator, I worked in the non-profit sector, fundraising for wildlife conservation through major art campaigns and exhibitions. Ever since making the leap into freelance life, I've wanted to bring those two worlds back together - to create medieval-inspired art that not only celebrates the natural world but actively helps protect it.

This dream project began when I was 18. I spent two months volunteering with the Crees Foundation for Manu in the Peruvian Amazon, helping ecologists survey biodiversity in the Manu Biosphere Reserve. Living in one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, surrounded by extraordinary wildlife, left a lasting mark on me, and for the last fourteen years I've been searching for a way to return.

Last year I finally reached out to the foundation with an ambitious proposal: to paint more than 120 species found in the reserve and create a collection that would raise both awareness and funds for its protection. Fifty percent of every sale will go directly back into the Crees Foundation for Manu's conservation work.

Thankfully, they loved the idea - and that's where the adventure began.

The Manu Learning Centre is known as a remarkable example of rainforest restoration and biodiversity recovery. What was it like witnessing that story first hand?

It's honestly hard to put into words. Standing in the middle of the rainforest, surrounded by the sights, smells and sounds of abundant wildlife, it's almost impossible to imagine that the Manu Learning Centre sits on land that was once heavily logged and degraded.

Over the last two decades, passive regeneration and long-term scientific monitoring have transformed it into a thriving ecosystem once again (the Crees Foundation for Manu have managed to get the area back to 87% of its original biodiversity levels!). Every dawn was filled with choruses, and the camera traps were constantly revealing tapirs, jaguars and ocelots returning to the forest. It made me realise that restoration isn't just about planting trees - it's about rebuilding an entire ecosystem.

As an artist, that was incredibly inspiring. I wasn't simply painting beautiful species; I was painting the success of decades of conservation work and proof that, with patience and long-term commitment, damaged landscapes really can recover. That's a message I hope people see in every piece I created.

What was your process for selecting and researching the 120+ endangered species featured in the series?

Narrowing it down was by far the hardest part. The Manu Biosphere Reserve is home to thousands of species, yet I somehow had to choose just 123.

I started by working through the Crees Foundation for Manu's biodiversity records since 2011 and created a longlist of 1,000 species. But in the end, I let the rainforest decide.

Every day seemed to bring a new encounter that completely reshuffled my priorities. I woke one morning to find a nine-banded armadillo wandering outside my room, so I painted him that very day. The next morning, we found fresh tapir tracks on one of the forest trails, so a tapir moved onto the paper. Then a blunt-headed tree snake attempted to slither into my bedroom, which rather insisted on becoming a portrait. One afternoon we discovered three tiny tent-making bats tucked inside a folded banana leaf in the garden, and there was no way they weren't making the series.

Very quickly I stopped looking at spreadsheets and started paying attention to what was happening around me. The forest became my curator, and I realised I wasn't just using biodiversity data - I was collecting my own.

Were there any animals that became personal favourites during the project?

Oh, so many! It's impossible to spend time somewhere like Manu without becoming emotionally attached to certain species.

One of the most special was a resident sloth called Gavin - later renamed Gavina after the team realised she'd been misidentified! I'd first met her when I was 18, and she'd become something of a mascot for the Crees Foundation for Manu. Sadly, she passed away shortly before I returned, so painting her felt like a special tribute.

Then there was the rainbow boa. One of the volunteers woke up one morning to discover a 2.6-metre snakeskin hanging above her mosquito net! We spent the next few days searching the lodge, knowing this enormous snake was still somewhere nearby. We could SMELL that it was still there, but never actually found it! I absolutely loved painting it that day because every brushstroke added to the excitement, anticipation and just a tiny bit of fear that surrounded the whole experience!

The endangered species were perhaps the most meaningful, though. Giant otters, jaguars, emperor tamarins, harpy eagles and black caimans all face increasing threats, so it's incredibly rewarding knowing the paintings don't just celebrate them - they'll also help protect them.

Which paper did you find worked best in the challenging environment of the rainforest?

Watercolour miniatures by Venetia Higgins
on Bockingford

For the entire project, I used Bockingford Cold Pressed White 425gsm, which was absolutely superb. It's an incredibly robust paper with a beautiful surface texture that really complemented the rich colours and intricate textures of the rainforest. Whether I was painting the iridescence of a butterfly's wing or the coarse fur of a giant anteater, it handled everything I threw at it.

What advice would you give artists hoping to paint in tropical or high-humidity environments?

The rainforest is just as much of a challenge as it is an inspiration! Before I left, the team at St Cuthbert's Mill gave me brilliant advice: pre-cut the paper and store it in airtight containers with silica gel. It sounds obsessive, but it completely prevented the paper from mottling in the humidity.

My other piece of advice is to always have one eye on the sky. Tropical storms appear with almost no warning, and rainforest lodges rarely have windows. I'd often be halfway through a painting in glorious sunshine before suddenly sprinting to rescue my paints and paper from a wall of rain. You quickly learn to paint efficiently - and to pack away even faster!

Was there a moment during the trip when the project took on a deeper significance than you had initially anticipated?

Absolutely. I thought I was travelling to the Amazon to create a body of work, but in many ways the rainforest restored me too.

The year beforehand had been incredibly difficult health-wise, and I only travelled after getting the all-clear from my consultants. I had to bring my medication in a specially designed cooling bag (a logistical challenge when you only have access to electricity for two hours every two days!).

What I hadn't expected was how much I needed to disconnect. I switched off WhatsApp, kept a journal every day, and immersed myself completely in life at the Manu Learning Centre. I made wonderful friendships with the local Quechua, Peruvian and Colombian staff, whose warmth and knowledge became one of the highlights of the trip.

Life wasn't exactly luxurious - there were mosquito bites, venomous species at every turn, exhausting treks and tropical storms - but I loved every second of it. When it was time to leave, I cried for nearly two hours. Those months reminded me how restorative it is to slow down, be fully present and spend time in a place so full of life. The paintings became more than wildlife portraits - they're a record of one of the happiest periods of my life.

When is the collection launching and how will people be able to buy the artworks or support the project?

I honestly can't believe I'm nearly there! Creating 123 paintings has been an enormous undertaking, but seeing the collection come together has made every late night worthwhile.

I've also collaborated with Antony James Hughes, who has handcrafted every frame from reclaimed timber and hand-gilded them. Each frame is engraved on the back with the species name, IUCN conservation status and where that animal was encountered, so every piece carries its own story.

The artworks will be available to purchase from 3 September 2026, when the complete collection will be exhibited together for the first time at The Gallery at Green & Stone in London (3–9 September 2026).

Each framed painting is priced at £375 (including worldwide postage), with 50% of every sale donated directly to the Crees Foundation for Manu. We'll also be running a raffle to win a bespoke painting of any animal, with 50% of all raffle proceeds going directly to Crees.

The entire project is built around one simple idea: that art can be a genuine force for conservation.

Please follow Venetia on Instagram for updates on the collection launch: @venetiahiggins