| Will you still be raising money for the Horn of Africa Conservation
Center in July? |
| | No, the money being raised in June was meant to coincide with the Zoo Ado event held on June 20th. For that event, I donated Jade and Maliha which sold at the silent auction for $600--all of which went to the Saint Louis Zoo. In the future, other Conservation Centers at the Zoo may be featured. |
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| How does your love for wildlife influence your work? |
| | I paint what I love and what is close to my heart. I spent over 16 years directly involved in animal management and conservation. Though I am now a full-time professional artist I have not changed my passions--I am merely taking a different path to get there. |
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| What do you think of the elephants, gorillas, etc. that (maybe I should say who) paint? |
| | Painting seems to be something that both the humans and (if I might be anthropormorphic) the animals enjoy. There was a video on You Tube not too long ago that showed an Asian elephant actually painting a self portrait. It was incredibly amazing. |
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| What is one of your best memories from working at the zoo? |
| | I don't have one best memory--there are simply too many. I literally grew up at the Saint Louis Zoo, around incredible staff, animals, and visitors. Although I have to admit some of my all-time highs centered around Asian elephant births. Oh yeah--I met my husband there, too! |
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| What do you think you work says about you? |
| | My work says that there is an appreciation of beauty in the ordinary. I have a very positive outlook on life, but I understand that wildlife as we know it today is in a continual state of metamorphosis and isn't necessarily going to be there if and when we do open our eyes. What are we prepared to do to preserve our planet? |
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| What do you hope to capture with your paintings? |
| | I hope my art expresses that there is beauty in imperfection. If we can see this, and truly appreciate it, we cannot help but fully connect with the world around us. It is this personal connection that is our greatest hope for preserving our planet. |
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