The pygmy hippo is a great source of inspiration for scientists, conservationists, passionate animal lovers, but also: artists! Katie Smith, a self-taught artist, has created a full pygmy hippo collection dedicated to this beautiful but endangered animal. And when you purchase a piece from this collection, you are not only supporting a real artist, but also the pygmy hippo! Katie is generously donating 20% of every purchase to IBREAM. We, and the pygmy hippo, couldn’t be happier or more grateful!
But, of course, we got curious: why is Katie doing this? And where does her passion for the pygmy hippo come from? Read all about it below!
What made you so inspired by wildlife? Is there any key memory that you can think of?
I’ve always been fascinated by wildlife.
I don’t know if there’s one single memory that started it all, but I was homeschooled as a kid and my mom took me to the Fort Worth zoo a lot and I loved it. It was my favorite place to see all of the animals. I’ve always been the weird animal obsessed girl in the family.
What made you turn to art? Why capture these beautiful animals with a brush and paint?
Art has always been the way I process and connect with the things I’m interested in. I’ve been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember, and nature has always been my biggest inspiration.
Recently I’ve realized that combining my love of art with my love of wildlife felt like what I should be doing. My passion, or purpose. I didn’t go into a field related to wildlife, so I love that I’m able to raise awareness towards animals through my art.
When I paint wildlife, I love researching them more and I get a little obsessed, learning about them. I get to learn really interesting facts (like that Pygmy hippos don’t actually swim) and little details that I might otherwise overlook. I love that a painting can capture not just what an animal looks like, but some of its personality too.
Why did you decide to make a pygmy hippo collection?
Honestly, it started with a bit of an obsession! Like many people, I fell in love with viral pygmy hippos like Moo Deng & Mars, but I became completely fascinated by their species and sad that there are less than 2,500 in the wild.
The more I learned about them, the more I wanted to paint them. I also loved the idea of creating an entire collection rather than just one painting, because it gave me the opportunity to show different personalities, poses, and sides of these animals.
And once I learned more about how threatened pygmy hippos are in the wild, it felt like my collection could have a bigger purpose beyond simply making cute paintings.
What is your favourite thing about pygmy hippos?
Their faces and little neck rolls! I just want to squish them. But seriously, I love their expressions. They look simultaneously serious, curious, grumpy, and adorable. They’re so fun to paint.
I also find it fascinating how different they are from what people might expect when they hear the word “hippo.” They’re much smaller and more secretive than their larger relatives. I’m an
introvert, so I feel like I’d fit in with shy little pygmy hippos.
Why was it important for you to tie this specific collection to a conservation cause?
I’ve always been an artist but one of my recent goals is that I want my art to give back to things I believe in. This spring I created an art series called “Shared Planet” where I painted 144 different species and donated a portion of the sales to conservation. I wanted to do it again!
Once I started learning more about pygmy hippos, I decided that would be my next series. I love that they’re having a “viral moment” so they’re trending right now and I thought it would be the perfect time to capture people’s attention with how cute they are, while also giving back to support them in the wild.
I want my art to help people care about them, learn about them, and hopefully contribute in some small way to protecting them. Supporting IBREAM felt like a natural fit because of your work specifically focused on pygmy hippo conservation and research.
What role do you think art plays in wildlife conservation?
This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately! I think art can make people care about animals they might otherwise never think about.
Conservation usually feels very distant, like something an everyday person not already in a wildlife career (like me) can’t affect. But I think art gives people a chance to form an emotional connection with an individual animal, and people don’t care about animals if they haven’t been aware of them or have a connection to them.
I think artists have the ability to make wildlife visible to people, especially species that are endangered or don’t get as much
attention.
Since pygmy hippos are so elusive and rarely seen in the wild, how did you study them for your paintings? Did you use videos, zoo visits, or photographs?
I relied heavily on photographs and videos while working on the collection, but I did also visit 3 different zoos that work with pygmy hippos and getting to see them in person was incredibly helpful . Being able to see them moving around and study their personalities in real life is so inspiring.
Was there anything uniquely challenging about painting the pygmy hippo compared to other animals you’ve painted?
I actually love paintings hippos, because their skin is easier to paint than animals with a lot of fur. Although there can still be a lot of detail work like adding texture to their skin or water drops and highlights, I find I can paint them a bit faster than animals like lions or birds (feathers take a lot of time).
Do you have a favourite piece in this pygmy hippo collection? If so, what makes it special to you?
I have a hard time choosing just one because each painting has its own personality and I love them all. The painting I did of Brötchen (a baby pygmy hippo from Zoo Berlin) is probably my favorite.
I’ve seen a lot of photos and videos of her playing in her pond and I love seeing her covered in duckweed. I also think it was one of the paintings where I felt like it captured everything I want it to: the personality of baby Brötchen, the colors (I love the color green), and the overall feeling I wanted the collection to have, fun and hopeful.
What do you hope people will see/remember when they look at your pygmy hippo artwork?
I hope it makes them smile! Pygmy hippos are so adorable and fun animals, and I want that joy to come through in the paintings. I don’t think anyone could be sad looking at a baby hippo.
But I also hope people remember that these aren’t just cute animals, they’re wild animals and their home is disappearing. If someone sees one of my paintings and becomes curious enough to learn something new about pygmy hippos, share them with someone else, or support conservation efforts, then I feel like my artwork has done something meaningful.
Ultimately, I want people to see the animal beyond my art and feel that it’s worth protecting.
Do you want to purchase your own pygmy hippo print? Check out Katie’s website:
- Studio Katie: www.studiokatie.com/the-pygmy-hippo-collection
- Katie’s Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/StudioKatieArt?ref=dashboard-header§ion_id=59265511
