Artwork is and always will be special. It reflects freedom, forward thinking and imagination. In order to create artwork it is important to allow each of these aspects the opportunity to flourish.
When approached by the founders of Natureworld to install a large-scale mural, Jaybeez and I were overwhelmed by the potential to allow our imaginations the chance to run free. This was an opportunity to let our inner child out; instinctively our minds began pouring ideas out. Like any child, we wanted the work to reflect a story.
Natureworld supplied the characters; we just needed to find a way to have these characters interact. Not all of these characters necessarily got along, but this, for us, was the fun part.
Each morning we would arrive and peruse the latest arrivals in the newly unfolding Natureworld showroom. It felt as though we were reaching into a toy box that had every toy you could imagine, where each day we’d pull something new out and find a space for it in our story.
We would start by imagining the types of landscape that these characters might come from. Who are they and why are they there? We would build little narratives for each of them. Our biggest challenge was finding a way to bring so many strange and hilarious thoughts together.
Whether it was Thelma and Louise (Yak and Zebra in their Cadillac) bursting out of a forest with a boot full of jewels that they’d stolen from a pack of angry Orangutans, or a storm trouper riding a boston terrier, attempting to storm a medieval castle, we always managed to have fun.
We made this our objective. We wanted to bring joy and vibrancy to a place that encompassed all the things we love about being artists. In the end, it felt as though the artwork painted itself.
As the viewer we hope you get lost in the story and that maybe it allows you to imagine your own little story.
We hope to create more artwork with Natureworld someday soon.
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Jaybeez & The Zookeeper
The Zookeeper 