They swing in trees and eat bananas. Some are mischevious, but most are playful. That is the typical image that comes to your mind when you think of a monkey. But what is not abundantly clear to the world is that these same monkeys are rapidly dwindling in population all over the world. Unless awareness is wide spread, the situation will grow dire globally for our closest relatives with fuzzy little heads. What is more glaring is that a quarter of the 625 known primate species and subspecies are at risk of extinction. The primary threats to all primates are deforestation, commercial bushmeat hunting and illegal trade. Bushmeat? Are you that smug that you honestly want to eat a monkey?

In honor of these little cuties, I was inspired to debut and devote my latest painting, Monkey Playground to this cause. As always, note cards will be available soon (check back regularly) while 8.5×11 Art Prints are up for grabs right now. And you don’t even need to climb a tree to get one.