GLOBE & MAIL (Toronto, Ontario) 26 August 04 Social Studies (Michael Kesterton)
Connecticut artist Kira Varszegi discovered the artistic talent of her pet, Koopa, when she returned to her easel after a break one day and found the box turtle "sitting on my palette, smiling and looking up at me." Her next reaction, she told The Hartford (Conn.) Courant, was "Oh, my God, I know these oil paints are not safe, but we've got to find something." She acquired washable, non-toxic paints and turned the turtle loose on the canvas; although she taps Koopa's shell lightly to get him going and she repositions him when he reaches the end of the panel, the rest of the work is his own. Koopa's most popular paintings have sold on eBay for as much as $480 (U.S.) and they hang in 35 U.S. states.
The turtle's fans outnumber the fans of Ms. Varszegi's own artwork. A woman in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has devoted an entire room in her house to his oeuvre.