Welcome to Wild at Heart
Wild at Heart is inspired by my family. Whenever things get stressful for one reason or another, we take a trip to a nearby (and sometimes not so nearby) zoo, aquarium, wildlife preserve or state park. These are some precious moments of ours captured on paper, and I hope that they remind you of some of your own precious memories.
There is so little wonder in the world some days… but when you sit with your three year old and stare at hippo and remember just how big those animals are… the world begins to feel a little bit more wonderful. When you’re staring at a two week old giraffe, and your daughter happily squeaks, “look mommy he’s so sweet!”, you remember that though there are many mundane things on this earth, there are also amazing things.
Her Giraffe
Giraffes are her favorite animal. Whether we are at a zoo in Texas or California, she wants to see the giraffes. She talks about them, and what they eat and how they eat at dinner time. She probably has seven toy giraffes in her bed at one time. She asked for a giraffe drawing for her room, which was the inspiration for this collection.
Her Buffalo
There’s a state park not far from our “new” house which has buffalo feedings on Saturday mornings. Texas skies stretch big and the buffalo huff in the morning. There’s something graceful about these creatures, even though they seem like they should be awkward. Alongside the longhorn cattle, the buffalo graze and my daughter asks me questions like, “what’s the difference between a buffalo and a cow?” And honestly, I don’t know. All I know is that they are beautiful.
Her Texas Longhorns
I've heard time and time again, "the Texas Longhorns are amazing, you need to see one". As a descendant of dairy farmers, I would nod and internally roll my eyes. Could these cows really be that amazing? They are. They are mesmerizing and wonderful. Really they are. If you’ve never seen one in person, I highly recommend seeking one out. At a state park in Texas I saw some for the first time last year, and was floored by them. We were struck with their beauty for a good hour just watching them graze.
Her Texas Snapping Turtle
Fun fact: seeing a Texas Snapping Turtle at the Abilene Zoo made me never want to swim anywhere in Texas, and it made her want to swim everywhere in Texas.
Her Fish
I'll be honest, I don't know much about fish, I don't even know what kind of fish she's staring so intently at. All I know is that she watched it, and it watched her for a good five minutes. The calm of the aquarium wrapped us in peace that day, it's a memory I treasure.
Her Jellyfish
I don’t think I can think of anything more relaxing than watching jellyfish. They’re mesmerizing. Watching jellyfish swim is meditative. To watch a child enjoy them is a beautiful thing to behold. Jellyfish, for me, are a reminder: a reminder to slow down and enjoy the beauty all around.
Her Hippo
Hippos are one of the most dangerous animals on the planet, yet every time I see them in person I think... really? I love hippos. Mostly because they're awkward and wonderful and also terrifying? We love visiting the hippopotamuses at the San Antonio Zoo. My daughter loves to sit and look at these strange animals.
Her African Dog
They have African dogs at the San Antonio Zoo. They're nothing particularly amazing or spectacular, but my daughter loves them. Honestly, they look like giant German Shepherds, an animal we see almost every day walking past our house. Yet she could watch the African Dogs all day.