Stella Marina yes that’s her real name – she was born a water baby is our resident Artist aboard Amazon voyage, setting sail this December from Recife, Brazil for the shores of Guyana, conducting research, creating dialogue and inspiring ocean optimism.
We pinned Stella down somewhere between her print making studio and the classic racing yacht she sails, and threw some quick fire questions at her, to give you a glimpse of the women behind the artistry, who is championing for cleaner oceans and conscious consumerism.
Q: What colour is your toothbrush?
A: Bamboo Coloured! It’s made of Bamboo instead of plastic, making it 100% biodegradable >> environmental toothbrush
Q: If you could teleport where would you go and why?
A: I have some very good friends in New Zealand, I would love to be able to drop in for dinner. It really is a very long way.
Q: Who do you admire the most (dead or alive)?
A: Probably Charles Darwin, I find it hard to picture where we would be without his work.
Q: What’s your top tip for reducing plastic use – what works for you?)
A: The easiest ones and the ones that have the biggest impact are probably food related. Simple changes to your daily routine, like always having a drink bottle with you and carrying shopping bags and containers for buying food over the counter in. Also refill dispensers of laundry and dish detergent are pretty great.
Q: If you could put just one thing at the top of your bucket list, what would it be?
A: I would love to climb a mountain called Annapurna, in the Himalayas.
Q: What’s the most delightful word you can think of?
A: Discombobulation.
Q: What’s your biggest fear?
A: Regret.
Q: Favourite flavour ice-cream?
A: Salted Caramel
Q: Who would be your 4 ultimate dinner party guests (dead or alive)?
A: Oooo tough one! It would have to be Joshua Slocum, to talk about the past. Peter Doig, to talk about beauty. Buckminster Fuller, to talk about the future and Charlotte Gainsbourg, for good measure.
Q: If you owned your own Yacht, what would you call her?
A: Well, it’s supposed to be bad luck to change a boats name, so it would depend on the boat. At the moment I have a little 12ft dinghy called Goblin. But I think if I were to build my dream boat from scratch, I would called her Edith. I think I would feel very safe on a boat named Edith.
Q: What have you done that you are most proud of?
A: Last year I helped to sail a boat across the Pacific, I was proud of that. Not because it was the Pacific, but because it was a tough trip and there were times when I really did not want to be there. But you keep going, because the sea doesn’t allow you such niceties and when its over you feel proud.
Q: What would your Superhero power be?
A: I would have Zeus-like powers and control the weather.
Q: What piece of advice have you been given that was most rewarding?
A: A good friend once told me to “sail only to your lifts” I have since found it to fit many non-nautical situations….
Q: What’s the most important thing you want to take away from your eXXpedition voyage?
A: I really hope that we all feel that we have achieved something as a group. To see how each of us takes our experience and moves forward with it, bringing our research back to our own communities will be really special.
Q: What’s your favourite marine animal and why?
A: I think Seahorses are pretty magic.
Thanks Stella!
Watch this space for more from Stella as she becomes inspired by the wonders of the blue and get behind her CrowdFunding campaign for her place on Amazon here – Stella’s beautiful Limited Edition ‘Gyres’ etching (below) is up for grabs, or read more of her Amazon Crew profile >>> here
