Frequently Asked Questions

How many murals have you done at Potter Park Zoo?
Depending on how you count them–about 17-19? Are we talking contiguous or–? Do signs count? Do giant Tiger statues count?

Who designs the murals?
The zoo chooses the overall theme of the design, and then lets me run wild with creating it! We like to use local flora and fauna for the long fences. When a mural is near an animal enclosure we usually try to make a design based on the animal’s habitat.

Do you do all the work yourself?
I do all the artistic painting myself, but the zoo has many amazing volunteers that sand, prime, and clear coat the walls for me! This saves me a lot of time and allows me to focus more on the artwork.

What is your favorite zoo animal?
I’m a cat lady… so I love the grumpy Pallas Cat, but I’m also a bird lady so I love the peacocks–except when they leave poos where I’m working or when they sneak up behind me and scream.

What is your favorite part about working at the zoo?
One of the best parts about my job is working near the animals and seeing the inner-workings of the zoo. Sometimes it feels like having a backstage pass.

Have you done anything other than murals at the zoo?
After gaining their trust (LOL) they gave me the massive task of refurbishing the Tiger statue even tho I had never done such a thing before. Just say yes and figure it out later! I also painted the two 16ft long carved entry gate signs.