Before I paint an animal, I want to see it in person - not a picture or a video - in real life. Everywhere we go, we take a trip to the zoo. We have visited zoos all over the country.

The first grotesque wore a purple robe, which clearly pushed me into monk territory. So, I leaned into it. Every monk after that wore the same purple robe. Each one stands against a bold background — green, orange, and pink. (After all, why settle for one color when you can use three?) The repetition gave the series some visual unity — like a weird, slightly disheveled, color-coded choir.