This painting was created en plein air during Art Gone Wild (2017) at Zoo Atlanta in the Scaly Slimy Spectacular exhibit. Missing my own veiled chameleon at home, I gravitated towards this particular enclosure housing a Meller’s chameleon. Despite the myth, chameleons change color to reflect their mood and state of being. I observed this one in a calm and content state and wanted the painting to reflect that tranquility. In the photos below, you can see the chameleon a bit more agitated with darker spots while it was walking across the floor near where I have the painting briefly posed. Chameleons are arboreal and are vulnerable when found on the ground.