I won't go back too far so that you get bored, but I am going to go back a little bit just so you know where I am coming from. I grew up in Littleton, CO with my parents and older sister. We always had several dogs in the family, plus my cat (who I have to say lived to be 23!!!), and at one time or another we also had some rabbits, chickens, homing pigeons, a llama, and horses. Needless to say I am no stranger to animals. In the 5th grade I saw "Gorillas in the Mist" and was hooked. I knew gorillas were in my future.

After graduating from Colorado State University with my bachelor's degree in zoology, I became much closer to my dream of working with gorillas. I interned at the Denver Zoo with seals and sealions, and then moved all the way to Glen Rose, TX to intern for the best summer of my life at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. There my primary care animals included an ocelot, red wolves, mexican wolves, maned wolves, coatis, capybaras, a cheetah cub, and a wonderful old goat named Snickers. Not only did I get the opportunity to get to know these great animals, but was able to help care for all kinds of other animals in the park including giraffe, black and white rhinos, cheetahs, prarie chickens and all kinds of hoofstock.

I finally landed my first job at the Fort Worth Zoo where I worked with all four great apes (gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos) as well as black and white colobus monkeys, white cheeked gibbons, and mandrills. I became the primary keeper of seven gorillas whom I will always adore to no end. Three years later I made the big leap and moved to Atlanta to work with 20+ gorillas at Zoo Atlanta, where I have now been for a little over a year.

When you grow up with a mother who is an artist, any time you say "I'm bored" you generally end up doing another art project. During the summer I lived at Fossil Rim, I found myself living in a house in the middle of a field surrounded by zebra and wildebeast, no car to take me into town, and was feeling a bit "bored" on my days off. So in true "bored" style I turned to art. I had endless subjects to paint, all I had to do was look out the window. So a little over four years later, here I am. Still surrounded by amazing creatures who's individuality I want to share with everyone that doesn't have the chance to sit and get to know them like I do. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!