| Art From an Unlikely Artist
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| | orange juice or a box of Kool-Aid, which
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| Amanda makes good money for her art,
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| | she receives for every painting she
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| hundreds of dollars on some pieces. Her
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| | completes.
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| particular style is strictly abstract and
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| | Amanda's art debuted to the public at the
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| she exhibits some unorthodox mannerisms,
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| | zoo's Primate Exhibit building last
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| but her work garners the attention of
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| | February. The opening exhibition produced
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| many.
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| | over 400 people who came to bid on 22 of
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| Sometimes the artist sleeps late and only
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| | Amanda's framed originals. The auction
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| paints once a week. If the inspiration
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| | raised about $4,800 for the zoo. A piece
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| strikes and she does not have her
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| | of Amanda's art entitled: "Like the
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| supplies though, she shows her
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| | Weather" took a hefty price, $360.
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| frustration by spitting and acting out!
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| | And even though Amanda shares her cage
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| Well, what would you expect from a
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| | with three other orangutans, she is,
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| 100-pound orangutan?
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| | apparently, the only latent artist with
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| Typically, her studio is littered with
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| | drive and talent.
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| banana peels and other stuff lying around
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| | She is also not shy about demonstrating
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| rotting, but she like to climbs up, up,
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| | her skills to onlookers and likes the
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| up into a cargo net to greet visitors.
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| | attention she gets as a result. Zoo
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| Amanda lives at the Como Zoo in St. Paul,
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| | spokeswoman Jennifer Lauerman says, "She
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| Minnesota.
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| | definitely knows what is going on." And
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| Her Como Zoo keeper, Mike Thell, says
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| | even though Amanda the orangutan artist
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| that the Sumatran/Bornean orangutan
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| | doesn't get the luxury of spending her
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| started painting in June as part of the
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| | funds, she would probably buy more
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| zoo's enrichment program. Animals in this
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| | bananas anyway.
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| zoo and others across the country,
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| | Other animals too, have been taught to
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| experience different incentive
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| | paint at various zoos around the country.
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| enhancements as well: there are the
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| | Ruby, the elephant, has sold paintings
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| gorillas who have to maneuver their
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| | for the Phoenix Zoo and one of her
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| treats out of plastic bottles, a polar
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| | creations netted almost $3,000. The
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| bear who has to scratch his way through a
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| | Marine Science Center in Clearwater,
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| block of ice to get his fish, and lions
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| | Florida, has shown some dolphin art and
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| who get to roll around in their favorite
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| | in 1992, one of the originals went for as
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| herbs and spices. Animal behavior experts
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| | much as $175.
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| have discovered that by supplying work
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| | * *
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| for animals, whether that means foraging
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| | Ziggy, our soon-to-be twelve year old
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| for food, navigating their terrain, or
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| | capuchin monkey loves artwork too, only
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| simply doing unlikely projects like
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| | she does not paint. I tried to introduce
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| Amanda, the animals fare better and
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| | her to watercolor paints several times,
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| exhibit a "psychological well being."
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| | but there was something about the brushes
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| The intelligent, antsy Amanda just kind
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| | she could not get over. As a consequence,
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| of took to painting after only a few
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| | her favorite medium is chalk, with
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| demonstrations about what to do with the
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| | crayons taking a close second. She often
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| brush and paints from the less-talented
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| | decorates the sides of her cage, her
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| humans around her. Because she thrives as
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| | toys, and a large, wooden hanging monkey
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| a result of her painting, every so often
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| | with bright colors. In fact, I find chalk
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| bottles of nontoxic poster paint and
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| | marks on almost any flat surface,
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| thick sheets of paper are pushed up to
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| | including paper and unrequested mail.
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| her chain-link fence. Part of Amanda's
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| | If you would like to introduce your
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| technique is to dip a fat paint brush
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| | monkey to art, let them observe your
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| into bright, primary colors and, after
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| | actions more than a few times, supply
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| each thoughtful stroke on paper, she will
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| | non-toxic products, and as unobtrusively
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| cleanse the brush in her mouth! Blue is a
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| | as possible, monitor their progress. For
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| favorite hue. Several minutes of inspired
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| | a reward, since boxed mixed drinks
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| painting take place and then she hands
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| | contain too much sugar, think about
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| her brush back to Thell, licks the excess
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| | rewarding your budding artist with a
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| paint with her pointed tongue, and its
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| | tablespoon of low fat, low sugar yogurt
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| done. "She usually gives it the tongue
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| | in the lid or offer a couple of Jello
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| signature," Thell says.
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| | cubes.
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| It does take some coaxing to get Amanda
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| | Andrea Campbell is the author of Bringing
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| to part with her work, but she will
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| | Up Ziggy: What Raising a Helping Hands
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| eventually push her creation under the
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| | Monkey Taught Me About Love, Commitment,
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| cage door for retrieval. She is further
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| | and Sacrifice .
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| rewarded for her efforts with either
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