Author Archives: Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

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About Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

I'm a French artist living near Paris. From 1968 to 1973 I studied at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, then at the San Francisco Art Institute in San Francisco, California, for my BFA. My work for many decades has been informed and inspired by time spent with indigenous communities. Various study trips devoted to the exploration of techniques and natural pigments took me originally to the Dogon of Mali, West Africa, and subsequently to Yanomami communities in Venezuela and Brazil. Over many years, during the winters, I studied the techniques of traditional Bogolan painting. Hand woven fabric is dyed with boiled bark from the Wolo tree or crushed leaves from other trees, then painted with mud from the Niger river which oxidizes in contact with the dye. Through the Dogon and the Yanomami, my interest in the multiplicity of techniques and supports for aesthetic expression influenced my artistic practice. The voyages to the Amazon Rainforest have informed several series of paintings created while living among the Yanomami. The support used is roughly woven canvas prepared with acrylic medium then textured with a mixture of sand from the river bank and lava. This supple canvas is then rolled and transported on expeditions into the forest. They are then painted using a mixture of acrylic colors and Achiote and Genipap, the vegetal pigments used by the Yanomami for their ritual body paintings and on practical and shamanic implements. My concern for the ongoing devastation of the Amazon Rainforest has inspired my films and installation projects. Since 2005, I've created a perfomance and film project - Fire Sculpture - to bring urgent attention to Rainforest issues. To protest against the continuing destruction, I've publicly set fire to my totemic sculptures. These burning sculptures symbolize the degradation of nature and the annihilation of indigenous cultures that depend on the forest for their survival.

Fantasy-Adventure tales of Yanomami life in the Amazon Rainforest! – ENGLISH, ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS -“Amazon Rainforest Magic” y “La Magia de la Amazonia” et “La Magie de l’Amazonie” – ages 8 to 100! – ALL THREE BOOKS IN THE SERIES NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on June 19, 2026 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Amazon Rainforest Magic: The adventures of Namowë, a Yanomami boy (Volume 1) For more Volume 1 details – in the USA, please click here: https://goo.GL/VmexDS Amazon Rainforest Magic: The adventures of Meromi, a Yanomami girl (Volume 2)  For more Volume 2 … Continue reading →

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¿Quién puede ayudar al bosque?

Posted on June 18, 2026 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

¿Quién puede ayudar al bosque?¿Quién puede ayudar a los ríos?¿Quién puede ayudar a los pueblos que viven allí?¿Quizás tú?¡Únete a nosotros! #Boycott4Wildlife#BoycottGOLD4Yanomami!

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Quem pode ajudar a floresta?

Posted on June 17, 2026 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Quem pode ajudar a floresta? Quem pode ajudar os rios? Quem pode ajudar os povos que vivem lá? Quem sabe você? Venha se juntar a nós! #Boycott4Wildlife#BoycottGOLD4Yanomami!

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Who can help the forest?

Posted on June 16, 2026 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Who can help the rivers? Who can help the people who live there? Maybe you? Come join us and help make a difference! #Boycott4Wildlife! #BoycottGOLD4Yanomami!

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Emotional and profound! – « Amazon Rainforest Magic, The adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100! – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – SECOND EDITION! – All 3 books of the series are NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on June 15, 2026 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

An illustration from Amazon Rainforest Magic, the adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl « I started this expecting a simple rainforest adventure for younger readers, but it became far more emotional and thought-provoking than I anticipated. Some of the scenes … Continue reading →

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A vibrant tale of bravery and wonder! – « Amazon Rainforest Magic, The adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100! – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – SECOND EDITION! – All 3 books of the series are NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on June 14, 2026 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

An illustration from Amazon Rainforest Magic, the adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl « This children’s fantasy-adventure tale weaves together myth, nature, and the strength of Indigenous cultures into a story that feels both vital and eternal. Through the eyes … Continue reading →

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The luminous, breathing world of the rainforest! « Amazon Rainforest Magic, The adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – SECOND EDITION! All 3 book of the series NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on June 13, 2026 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

An illustration from Amazon Rainforest Magic, the adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl « In the third volume of Amazon Rainforest Magic: The Adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami Girl, Barbara Crane Navarro deepens both the emotional and thematic richness of the … Continue reading →

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A Spellbinding Tale! « Amazon Rainforest Magic, The adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – SECOND EDITION! – All 3 books of the series NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

An illustration from Amazon Rainforest Magic, the adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl « A fable of courage and enchantment, this children’s fantasy-adventure weaves myth, ecology, and the resilience of Indigenous peoples into a story that feels both urgent and timeless.  Through … Continue reading →

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Nature and Magic Unite! « Amazon Rainforest Magic, The adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – SECOND EDITION! – All 3 books of the series NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on June 11, 2026 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

An illustration from Amazon Rainforest Magic, the adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl « Amazon Rainforest Magic: The Adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami Girl is a captivating journey into the heart of Yanomami life and the enchanted forest they call home. Through … Continue reading →

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When the forest speaks, who will listen? « Amazon Rainforest Magic, The adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – SECOND EDITION! NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on June 10, 2026 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

An illustration from Amazon Rainforest Magic, the adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl Deep in the Amazon rainforest, young Yarima discovers that the animals, rivers, and trees have voices, and they are calling for help. To save her community and … Continue reading →

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