Long ago my mother Billie showed my sister and I the world of nature in our backyard. Just by being with her we learned how to appreciate, feel a part of, and protect all that was 'outside', as it was called. We took this to heart. Years before we ever heard terms like ecology or global warming or endangered species, we loved the wonder and freedom that was always there in our little garden. I began to find my place in the natural world under a brief, lovely innocence.

My mother and sister are gone now, and our world has tightened and shrunk under the long strain of mismanagement. Loving nature these days comes with a steady stream of bad news. My strategy for being of some use in this imperiled world is to work to help animals. There is a near infinite need all across the spectrum of nature.

And so, my painted animals exist to reach into the hearts of human beings where there is still the capacity to feel fascination and empathy with other species. They exist to renew a sense of ethical stewardship of the natural world. And they exist to generate money to help real animals in need.

I invite you to roam this little menagerie and see which animals reach you . . . . .