What do animals do? That’s a pretty broad question, but there are plenty of things they do—some even become artists. In this roundup of 10 animals who became artists, we’ll explore how a dog, a horse, an elephant, a rhino, a photographer pup, an orangutan, a sea lion, beluga whales, a bowerbird, and many more have taken brushes, brushes, cameras, and even building materials into their own creative hands.
10 Dagger DogVinci
Dagger is a Black Labrador/Golden Retriever mix whose early life pointed toward a career as an assistance dog with Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). He mastered much of the rigorous training but ran into fear‑related hurdles on a few tasks and ultimately didn’t graduate. Afterward, artist Yvonne Dagger welcomed him into her studio, where he observed her painting daily.
Because of his prior training, Dagger was already attuned to watching and mimicking human skills. One day Yvonne handed him a paintbrush, and the pup set to work on his own canvases. He eventually sold more than 150 paintings, raising over $10,000 for charitable causes. Not content to rest on his laurels, Dagger—affectionately known as “DogVinci”—also earned certification as a therapy dog through Therapy Dogs International, traveling the world to inspire, influence, and comfort people wherever he goes.
10 Animals Who Became Artists: An Overview
9 Metro The Painting Racehorse
Metro Meteor, a top‑class racehorse, was rescued by artist Ron Krajewski and his wife Wendy after a severe knee injury ended his racing career. Born with a degenerative knee condition, veterinarians warned that his prognosis was terminal, giving him perhaps two years left. Determined to give Metro a joyful life, Ron noticed the horse’s habit of bobbing his head and imagined he might enjoy holding a brush in his mouth.
Metro embraced painting with gusto, becoming the bestselling artist at Gallery 30 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The proceeds funded a pioneering treatment that saved his knees, allowing him to continue creating art for many years. In addition, Metro donated over $45,000 from his sales to a charity that assists retired racehorses in finding loving homes.
8 The Painting Elephants Of Thailand
The Elephant Art Gallery showcases works produced by trained elephants residing at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. Many of these gentle giants are rescued or orphaned, and they paint using specially adapted brushes that prevent the brush from slipping too far down their trunks. With over 40,000 muscles in a single trunk, elephants can execute surprisingly precise strokes, rendering detailed depictions of trees, leaves, and blossoms, as well as vibrant abstracts.
While the gallery’s success has drawn admiration, some conservationists question the ethics of training elephants to paint, sparking debate about potential cruelty. The discussion remains unresolved, leaving the artistic merit of the program entwined with animal‑welfare concerns.
7 Mshindi The Painting Rhino
Mshindi, a black rhino who lived at Denver Zoo, spent his final years creating abstract canvases with a brush held in his mouth. Trained by keeper Christine Bobko, he learned not only to paint but also to fetch sticks and sit on command, demonstrating a keen appetite for new challenges. His artistic output raised awareness of rhino conservation and highlighted the intellectual curiosity of these massive mammals.
The name Mshindi translates to “warrior” in Swahili—a fitting moniker for a creature that fought against the limitations of age and health to express himself through art before his euthanasia in September 2015 due to progressing foot problems.
6 The ‘Pho‑Dog‑Rapher’
In a quirky Nikon experiment, a dog named Grizzler became a photographer. A heart‑rate sensor attached to a camera strapped on his chest monitored his excitement levels; whenever his pulse rose above 119 beats per minute, the shutter clicked, capturing whatever had caught his attention.
Grizzler’s eclectic portfolio includes snapshots of cats, fellow dogs, plants, and even mushrooms, proving that a dog’s perspective can yield a surprisingly diverse visual record of the world around him.
5 Towan The Orangutan Artist
Towan, an orangutan at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, spent nearly five decades exploring artistic expression. Though he repeatedly attempted to escape captivity—an indication of his intelligence and yearning for freedom—zookeepers provided him with a sketch pad and a toolbox of unconventional implements such as toothbrushes, crayons, and chalk.
Using these tools, Towan produced striking abstract works that revealed his creative spirit. He passed away in March 2016 following complications from a medical procedure, leaving behind a legacy of artistic curiosity among great apes.
4 Lea The Sea Lion
Marine mammalogist Jen DeGroot, working at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon, taught a sea lion named Lea to paint as a means of mental enrichment. Lea embraced the activity, and his companion Max soon followed suit. Their “flipper prints” were sold to raise additional funds for the aquarium’s animal programs, and both were featured in the book Fur in My Paint.
The popularity of their artwork sparked greater public interest in sea lions, drawing attention to these charismatic marine mammals beyond their typical aquarium performances.
3 Painting Beluga Whales
Beluga whales at Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium in Yokohama, Japan, have been equipped with specially designed “beluga brushes.” The whales hold the brushes in their mouths and attempt to replicate images submitted by aquarium visitors as part of an interactive art program.
Although keepers must dip the brushes into paint and set up a suspended easel above the water, the belugas perform the actual brushwork, producing colorful, whimsical paintings that surprise and delight onlookers.
2 The Bowerbird Collage
Male bowerbirds are celebrated architects of the avian world. To woo potential mates, they construct elaborate display structures—bowers—adorned with a dazzling assortment of found objects: ribbons, shards of glass, coins, and even photographs.
The birds painstakingly gather and arrange these trinkets around a framework of interwoven sticks and grasses. Importantly, the bower is a purely aesthetic creation, separate from the nest, serving solely to impress females with the male’s artistic flair.
1 And So Many Others
We often assume that only humans possess true artistic talent, yet countless creatures display natural creativity. Parrots excel at vocal mimicry, even aiding criminal investigations, while flamingos coordinate intricate group dances, and spiders spin delicate, geometric webs.
Beyond behavior, many animals are themselves living works of art: butterflies flaunt vivid wing patterns, and oysters craft lustrous pearls within their shells. The animal kingdom teems with extraordinary craftsmanship for those willing to look closely.
I write about the weird and wonderful world of wildlife and animals, hoping to inspire readers to keep learning and discovering how we are all intertwined with nature’s endless canvas.