Bonnie Marris has taken her own path into art. She developed her talent by portraying animals from the inside out. While a student at Michigan State University, Bonnie illustrated several books, including one mammalogy text by a leading expert in the field. From this, she attracted the attention of zoologist George Schaller, who invited Bonnie to prepare the art for posters that would support his world-wide rare animal relief programs. Each year, Bonnie takes countless trips to observe and learn about the wildlife she loves. In 1980, one such voyage took her to Alaska, where she lived in the wilderness for six months. She felt Alaska changed her, giving her the biggest incentive to paint and increasing her interest in predators.