Janina Rossiter | Fine Art & Illustration | Ocean Activism
Multi-award-winning children’s book author and artist, Janina Rossiter brings her passions together in her work. Inspiring the next generation of conservationists, her books are captivating tales of the Ocean that explore marine creatures and the problems they face. As an artist, she feels happiest when recreating scenes of the ocean in her paintings.
“I hope that through my art and my love of the sea, I can make my voice heard and make a difference."
Blue Ocean Watch - ‘The Song of Life’ dealing with how sound pollution affects whales. - illustrations by Janina Rossiter
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
I remember spending a lot of time in France during the summer holidays, probably the reason why I moved to France 11 years ago. It wasn't until 2009 that I truly discovered my love for nature and the need of wanting to protect it. My parents in law live in the Auvergne, surrounded by volcanoes and nature. The first time I went there, I started noticing the amount of insects, spiders and hummingbird moths, and also the beautiful scenery, and I felt the need to watch it and capture it in pictures. I especially love the close up texture of insects. From an art perspective, it's very inspiring.
What is a typical day like for you?
Since the pandemic started there are no typical days for me anymore. Each day is different. Before there was a routine of getting up, getting the kids ready and dropping them off at school, off to work, school pickup, kids bedtime and then I would have time to work on my activism art or enjoy time with my husband.
What/who currently inspires you?
My biggest source of inspiration is wildlife photographers and wildlife documentaries. Beautiful nature shots really touch me on an emotional level, but I also take a lot of inspiration from images of our planet that show how much it is suffering from human activities.
What path did you choose after leaving school?
I left school in 1998 to spend an exchange student year in the USA, following which I returned to school in Germany and graduated. I studied communication & illustration design at university in Hamburg, Germany, and graduated in 2006 with a German Diplom (1.0 - best possible grade) HAW Hamburg, University of Applied Sciences, department Design.
What do you value most in life?
What I value the most is my family, the time we spend together, and also where we live and the opportunities we have. I also really appreciate spending time near the oceans or in nature.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
I would love to stop plastic pollution and global warming. I know I can’t stop it but maybe I can help to find solutions and mobilise others by raising awareness about these issues! I know the problems are immense, but I do believe that every little change counts.
Are there any books/documentaries that have guided your thinking?
I must say I’m rather addicted to TEDx talks (about Ocean Pollution/Sustainable Solutions) and I love listening to others and hear their story. What motivated them to want to bring about change, the projects they started and why. I’m also a fan of BRUTnature and Loopsider videos about change-makers. I think they probably influenced me the most. A book that also influenced me when I was younger and made me care heavily about climate change was “This Changes Everything” by Naomi Klein. There are lots of documentaries that have inspired me to create activism art, such as A Plastic Ocean, Blue Planet, My Octopus Teacher, Misson Blue, Sea of Shadows etc.
What brings you the most joy?
Spending time with my family. Doing what I love. Protecting the Ocean.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
I’d never pictured myself becoming an activist trying to make a difference. I always cared about the environment and took global warming seriously, but never imagined speaking up publicly about it. But now I’ve been down that path and I’m very passionate about it. I really hope my work touches people and makes them feel like they want to help make the world a better place. I hope that through my art and my love of the sea I can make my voice heard and make a difference.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an ocean Storyteller?
Go for it! Anything you want to do, do it. If you are passionate about the ocean and feel the need to protect it, then follow your feeling and see where it leads you. My connection to the ocean comes from my love for water (25 years of competitive swimming), but I don’t have an ocean-related job. By this, I mean that I’m not a marine biologist, an underwater photographer or anything that could easily explain why I wanted to tell stories about ocean protection. But I think you don't need to justify yourself to anyone. If you have a passion and feel the calling, then do it.
Website - www.janinarossiter.com
Instagram - @janinarossiter
