Acrylic on Canvas; 40 in. by 30 in.

What if animals took over the everyday roles in our lives? Would humankind need to necessarily devolve or could there be coexistence? Would there be conflict? In these first five oil-on- canvas works from a larger set, I explore stories with creatures in our place. A few elements animate this series: 1) a deliberate reverse anthropomorphism that privileges creatures as uncommon subjects and 2) a reinterpretation of well-known visual stories with nothing less than a serious tone that in effect, turns the real into the surreal.

The zebra strolls along, albeit in an urban setting. A calm escape from the zoo just beyond the trees’ edge? Or maybe the return from a visit there before closing—a goose family going one way and dog another? If the latter, what then is held in captivity for our animal spectators? Bold brushstrokes, rose colors, and a surreal brightness give us a serene depiction that nonetheless leaves us ambiguity.