My favorite mammal of all time is the orca. When I was 7, my family and I were fortunate enough to go to Alaska. While there, we went on a short day cruise to see glaciers. Along the way, we spotted wild orcas. My dad and I prided ourselves on photographing them with his old Minolta film camera. I was forever enamored with the whales and their wild, playful nature.

My second favorite animal are horses. They say every little girl loves horses. But I loved them for different reasons than most. I loved them for being wild, and free. To this day, I prefer to paint horses playfully, un-fenced and without their saddles.