The baby alligators of Florida’s Gatorland may be short, sharp and snappy, but their art is anything but.
© Barry Bland / Barcroft Media
For full story and pictures:
With their feet and front covered in non-toxic paint, the year old baby gators have proved unlikely teaching assistants for the 110-acre parks keepers.
Placed on top of a white sheet, the ten-inch long alligators are encouraged to slip and slide across the canvas, painting unique and surreal art works in the process.
With every gator’s unique scales and footprints etched onto each artwork, the parks younger visitors are encouraged to understand and appreciate these ancient creatures.
© Barry Bland / Barcroft Media
“We have seen gorilla’s paint and elephants paint, so we thought why not alligators,” says Tim Williams, chief of PR at Orlando’s GatorLand.
“We saw how children are taught about individuality with finger painting and the uniqueness of finger prints and we have tried to replicate that with our alligators.
“Each child gets to take home a painting and we have been stunned by the reaction to our little gator artists.”
Each baby gator, called either Izzy, for ‘Is he real?’ or Willy, for ‘Will he bite” are dipped in different coloured paints before they are placed onto the white canvas.
© Barry Bland / Barcroft Media
“The gators really enjoy it and take a lot of pleasure in the sliding they can do with the paint on their feet and bellies,” says Tim.
“Just to be sure we always have a bucket of water right next to us at all times to make sure that they can be wiped clean at any second.”
Painting for a maximum of 15 minutes, Tim explains the reaction he has got to some of the baby gators efforts.
“I have shown the gators work to some people and asked them what they though the style of art was,” says Tim.
“Some have said abstract or surreal, so I really enjoy telling them that a year old baby gator has painted it.”
Celebrating their 60th year open as a park, Gatorland is hoping to help promote the preservation of Florida’s incredible alligators.
“This is a novel and amusing way to show visitors, especially the kids that gators are as unique as each and every one of us,” explains Tim.
Words by James Nye
Related posts:
- Sam the Painting Dog Holding his brush like an old master, Sam the...
- Sam The Painting Dog AKA The Doggy Da Vinci Holding his brush like an old master, Sam the...
- The Amazing Painting Elephants Words by Jack Fletcher Pictures by Bronek Kaminski It...
- Sara The Dog That Loves To Swing These hilarious pictures show how Sara the dog loves...
- Dog Artist Tillamook Cheddar These abstract artistic visions are the work of Tillamook...
- Alligator Bus Service Piggy-backing a cheeky ride from Georgia the nine-foot alligator, Myrtle...
- The nine-year-old Crocogirl Dundee Meet Samantha Young, the nine-year-old alligator wrestler who teaches grown...
- Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane? No It’s My Flying Dog! Soaring through the air playing fetch has never been...