Inside Alexandrea Pangburn’s World of Wildlife Art

A mural can be more than just a pretty backdrop for the city streets. But when the mural is four or five stories tall and features the face of one of the area's native animals, it’s likely to make people stop and consider the species and their place in the town's environment. 🎨 

Alexandrea Pangburn is a mural and animal art artist who has dedicated her career to creating massive murals of animals that people end up feeling protective of. 👩‍🎨 

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Alexandrea shares with us her journey from Kentucky to Colorado, the influence of the Western landscape on her art career, and her unique style that includes realistic depictions of animals with retro 1970s color palettes and an understanding of the way sunlight plays on the animals’ coats. 🖼️ 

Alexandrea also shares the challenges of working outdoors in the heat and with the weather, her tools of choice, the differences between gallery art and mural art, and the various mural commission requests that she has received throughout the years. 🌱 

Alexandrea shares how she captures the essence of her pet portraits by focusing on their eyes to depict their personalities and to release the emotions that come from the passing of these beloved companions. 🐶 

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Nature is closer than we think 🌿

“I want people to be able to see the beauty and the details of the animals and plants that live among them.”

Alexandrea Pangburn, muralist and animal realism artist, shares how her work brings attention to the natural world around us.

Transcript

Welcome And Meet Alex

Steven Ruffing 0:01

Welcome to the Four Worlds Podcast from Tomorrow's World Today. We're diving into the latest in tech, science, and sustainability, from nature's mysteries in the world of inspiration to the hands-on crafts of creation, the bold breakthroughs of innovation, and the scaled-up wonders of production. This is your ticket to the stories shaping tomorrow. Welcome back, everyone, to the Four Worlds Podcast. Joining us today is a large-scale muralist and animal realism artist, Alex Pangburn. Alex, welcome to the show. It's really great to have you. Thank you so much for taking some time out of your day, hopping on and joining us.

Starting Out In Large Murals

SPEAKER_01 0:39

Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm super excited to be here with y'all.

Steven Ruffing 0:41

Yeah, absolutely. And we'd like to just first off start things with anyone who isn't familiar with your work that are joining us, listening, uh, can you give them a brief background of who you are and what kind of art you make and things that you work on?

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Yeah, totally. So in 2018, I kind of started my large-scale muralist career. That's when I did my first large-scale spray paint mural and really just got the ball rolling on that. So my subject matter is focused around local flora and fauna. So really just highlighting the local flora and fauna that exist in the space in which I'm creating. There's a lot of like community aspects to my work where I'm really connecting with the people there. But um, a lot of my large-scale murals are all done with spray paint and brush paint as well. So, but they span kind of like all over the US.

Moving To Colorado, Seeing Land

Steven Ruffing 1:26

So no, that's great. And just something that I, you know, came across, it's right there on your website for anyone uh interested and wants to check it out in your bio. You went from Kentucky to Colorado and you said that kind of sparked that Western inspiration. Take me through that. How how did that inspiration of the West stem from that move to Colorado and how it shifted your approach to art?

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Yeah, I think growing up, like I always had this fascination with the West, but I didn't actually get a chance to go out until 2017. So, like my first trip out there, I was like, done deal. Like I'm moving out here. It's really just the connection with the land. I like grew up being outside a lot, and so that's really where I connect the most and where I'm most inspired. So the access to wildlife and open space in Colorado is just in plethora, which is awesome for an artist, um, especially somebody that's super visual and is inspired by those things. So it really wasn't until I was there living, living in Golden, and that backed up to South Table Mesa, which is where kind of like my house was. And I was just able to hike every day. I saw wildlife every day. So it really just helped kind of build my visual inspiration and motivation to be able to create.

Steven Ruffing 2:34

So no, that's great. I can understand why. I mean, Colorado, absolutely beautiful state, and just a lot of natural beauty around it. But do you do you keep some of those Kentucky roots when you went over there? Does that make its way back into anything?

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Yeah, I just think that there's something about Colorado and being surrounded by that landscape that helps you kind of like appreciate the land a little bit more. So it wasn't until I moved there that I was able to like connect with land, not only there, but in my home state as well. So I moved back to Kentucky in April of last year. So I've really kind of like come back here with like a whole new set of eyes and being able to like really appreciate what's going on here that I wasn't aware of before.

Retro Color Blocks, Realistic Animals

Steven Ruffing 3:11

So yeah, just kind of eye-opening. And one thing about you know, your your pieces, whether it's the murals or the portraits, a lot of detail. I mean, very, very specific detail that really makes everything pop. And you emphasize this juxtaposition and the organic shapes and lines when you are uh creating these pieces. So for those listening who may have not come across your work or haven't checked it out yet, how do you balance that realistic animal portraits with those big, bold graphics and shapes?

SPEAKER_01 3:41

Yeah, I think that I'm also really inspired by like 70s retro graphic design. And so I really love tying that in. The color usage was really great during that time period. And so to be able to tie kind of like those big bold color blocks in with like all the details of the hair and everything, it just creates a really cool contrast and kind of like builds this composition of something that is appealing to my eyeballs at least.

Steven Ruffing 4:06

So yeah, and and it is it's eye-catching, and I think it's something that a lot of people can resonate with, it could attract a lot of attention from people, no matter you know who you are, just those popping colors. And I'm curious when you're picking an animal or or or a plant, plants might be a little or fauna, plants may be a little easier to do, but for animals, how do you pick those colors? Do you do certain colors go with different animals? How do how does that creation process go when you have, let's call it a subject and you're trying to figure out how to go about it?

SPEAKER_01 4:38

Yeah, are you talking about like the background like colors? Okay, yeah, yeah. So when you're looking at an animal, it's not just browns and blacks. It's like it depends when the shade hits it, you know, or when the sun hits it, you could have a lot of oranges and yellows or blues if it's in the shade. So it's really kind of pulling out those colors that may not be super obvious to the eye, but makes you kind of just take a second look and it just kind of like helps bring a little bit more depth to it.

Public Art That Teaches Conservation

Steven Ruffing 5:06

So yeah, that's interesting. Just of course, you highlight the natural world in the again, just want to call it the subject itself. So it's interesting to hear that you kind of take that same inspiration for the background and the additional colors that that go into it and switching to that local flora and the fauna, you stated that your intention is to bring awareness to that local and natural flora and fauna. But in your view, how can you pee how can a piece of public art or painting actually help educate people on conservation or habitat preservation? Because it is something that there has been a lot of emphasis on recently.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

Yeah, I think just like going back to the importance of public art as a whole, but you know, some people may feel intimidated by the fact of going and walking into a gallery, like they feel like they need to buy a piece or like, you know, it's a little bit too high scale for them to enter. But public art is really unique in that it's accessible to everybody and even people that aren't intentionally seeking out the art. So in my work specifically, where I'm trying to bring a lot of awareness to local flora and fauna, I want people to be able to see the beauty and the details of the animals and plants that live among them and that are native to the states or areas in which they live. I think that a lot of people just don't spend the time to really educate themselves on the land and the animals that they share with. And so having something big and huge and bold and four or five stories tall, like you can't help but just take a second look. And then, you know, looking at my work and being able to go back and see there's usually a story or a connection with what I'm doing. It helps tie into like, you know, specific organizations that I may be working with or specific communities to help highlight those animals. So yeah, it's just a really important, I think, aspect for art to be in a public realm.

The Reality Of Painting Outdoors

Steven Ruffing 6:55

Yeah, absolutely. And and we'll get into you know the murals because they they're spread across the country, you know, several states in the United States. What's the biggest challenge, whether it's physical or creative, when moving from a smaller canvas to, like you said, sometimes those five-story walls on the side of a building?

SPEAKER_01 7:14

Probably the weather, dude. Like it's just like it's so rowdy to be like doing a five-story mural south facing in the middle of summer in Colorado where it's like 98 degrees. Yeah. I think there's just so many other factors you have to deal with if you're working outside. You know, you're not only dealing with like a spray can, but you're working with equipment. Usually I'm on like a boom lift, so is that gonna break down when I'm 40 feet in the air sometimes? And like that's scary. But yeah, I think that really it's just like the weather and the natural elements. That's also the best part about it, and what makes it like so, I guess, impactful because literally blood, sweat, and tears goes into it.

Steven Ruffing 7:51

Truly, it's immersive too. You kind of feel those natural elements that you're also kind of highlighting as well. What would you rather do? Would you rather Colorado winters or Colorado summers to kind of do your artwork outside?

SPEAKER_01 8:02

Oh man, Colorado winters for sure. Because at least you get that sun, like so it can be 20 degrees outside, but when that sun hits you, it's like 40. So um, but those summers are brutal.

Murals, Galleries, And Commissions

Steven Ruffing 8:13

I can't even imagine, but at least it's beautiful out there. Yeah, and that's the that's the silver lining. So when you're when you're doing these murals, but you also have your art in like not me. Why am I blanking here? Galleries. Like galleries, yes. Oh my gosh. So you have your your murals and your galleries. How do you decide, you know, kind of what goes where?

SPEAKER_01 8:38

I think with working with buildings, you're having to work with an ununiform shape. So you're really not only having to think about the subject matter, but what fits where best to highlight that building. Whereas with like a gallery piece, you're working with like a square or a circle or a rectangle. So, and also the surface is really different when you're working with buildings. So I think that subject matter, I tend to be a little bit more detailed in my painting work for galleries versus my building work. It just allows me to be able to like get detailed and focus more on the subject matter rather than trying to fit the image to the building.

Steven Ruffing 9:16

Yeah. And how do you how do you go about painting these murals on these buildings? Do you go through someone? Do you have to seek approval? Do people reach out to you to get something painted on their building or their walls or what have you?

SPEAKER_01 9:30

Yeah, it's like it's ranges really. So it ranges anywhere from like private commissions where you know a single person is like, hey, I want this mural on the side of my garage, to we're working with like the city and we're working on like a 4,000 square foot set of tunnels. So when you're working with a city like that, it's usually years because there's contracts, you know, you're working with traffic control with the city permits and approvals. So there's a lot more cooks in the kitchen. Whereas when you're just working with like a single person, that's like my favorite because they just usually let you do whatever.

Steven Ruffing 10:02

Yeah, just kind of free range, have a yeah, exactly. So what's something? I'm kind of going off script here, just something that sticks out to you throughout your years dating back to 2018, 2017, that's impacted you the most that you've worked on.

Community Collaboration And Small Towns

SPEAKER_01 10:16

I think the community aspect of public art, like I don't think I really understood whenever I first started it, like how much meaning it has to people beyond myself and how important it is in my work to have a community aspect. I love collaborating, um, whether that be with the community or with an additional artist. I feel like it really helps you grow and also helps create a story around the mural that people feel a little bit more attached and protective of. So it's it's really interesting when you paint a mural in a small community where they feel ownership over it. And so they want to protect it. They want to tell the story, they want to like bring all their family members to come see it. So there is this like sense of community, like collaboration going on whenever I do a mural. And that's been my favorite part that I've learned to do for the years.

Steven Ruffing 11:00

Yeah, it's it's to me, this is my opinion, it's very selfless work because it's your art, you know, you created that special in its own realm. But once it goes up on that wall in that community, uh, it's kind of everyone's at that point. And that's kind of you know where I feel that you're going with that. And I think there's something special to that because, like you said earlier, you know, people being kind of nervous to walk into a gallery, it might be a little highbrow for them, but something like that, it it really sticks out to the community as a whole.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

Yeah, totally. I started a project in 2024 called the Novel Mural Project, and that's where I'm going into small towns in Kentucky and doing murals pro bono. And that's something that's been really interesting, you know, whereas I'm normally working with cities that have a large budget and then going into communities that don't really understand or even have public art, how that sits with them. And it has been like really eye-opening and just like humbling as an artist to be able to do that. So I'll do my third installation this year with Jackson, Kentucky, and I'm really excited about that.

Steven Ruffing 12:00

And just hearing just about that, and I'm sure you've been to places that may not have that appreciation for art as some other communities may have. What's that like when you're going into some of those places? If you have kind of the response, is it kind of eye-opening for the community as well?

SPEAKER_01 12:17

Yeah, so actually the one that I did in 2025 was really interesting. The original person that I had been talking to, unfortunately, had suddenly passed away. And so there was another person that kind of came into the mix of it. And there was just like a lack of understanding of the value of public art. And so it didn't feel like from that upper side of the city that they were as excited about it as I was. But the people that I ran into while I was doing the installation who actually lived there and were going to see that mural every day were so stoked. So that's all I think that it is, you know, it can be hard and a little bit draining, but at the same time, like overall, there's like more appreciation for it for the people that you may not see every day.

Birds, Plants, And Learning Stories

Steven Ruffing 12:57

So yeah, absolutely. That is something special about it. And I kind of want to focus back on the the animals and plants aspects of the thing because it is great hearing about the community, exposing that to, like you said, some people that may not be have that appreciation for art. But what are some of some specific animals or plants, fauna, flora that you find yourself returning to because of its details that are particularly fun or challenging to paint?

SPEAKER_01 13:23

So in 2018, I did my first spray paint mural, and it was a Western Taninger bird. Had never really done birds in the past, but just thought it was in like a really unique, unique position, and it was kind of interactive where people could pose with it in a unique way. And so from that point, I became this like bird girl. And so I would always get called to like do these bird murals, and it kind of like forced me into this position of like learning about birds and being a bird watcher and educating myself. So I think that I learned a lot about birds in that aspect, and I really like painting them and like the different colors that they have in their feathers, and I really enjoy painting like furry animals like bison and bighorn sheep and elk. So I would say birds I always go back to, and that's just what I'm known for by proxy. But I enjoy it, so I'll be the bird girl, whatever.

Steven Ruffing 14:11

No, that's that's fun. There's nothing wrong with that because uh we've had artists and photographers on before. It's somehow the subjects always come back to birds because they're fascinating creature creatures, and as an artist's standpoint, I can see the appeal to them, and there's no shame in being the bird bird girl.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

Yeah, right. I like it.

Steven Ruffing 14:31

Yeah, well, and just you said you learned you got the chance to you know kind of forced into learning more about birds. Do you find that translates to other animals and plants as well, seeing something you don't know, and then you find yourself, you know, sitting there researching about this plant or animal?

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Yeah, totally. I got asked to do a lot of prairie roses a couple of years ago and really highlighting those. And I think that they're so different from like the normal roses you're used to seeing in like bouquets and stuff, but there is this like natural aspect, and there's a lot of like folklore behind them and like spiritual meaning with the land. So I think that that causes me to look at my stuff outside of like the normal description of a plant or animal, and there's just a little bit more of a story behind it.

Pet Portraits That Capture The Eyes

Steven Ruffing 15:17

So yeah. No, that's great. And you don't just do wild animals as well. We're talking about domesticated animals as well. You have great pet portraits on your site and in your work. When you are working with these pets and these pet portraits, you ask for clear images and natural light, but beyond just the physical likeness, what are you looking for in those photos that help you capture the personality of someone's pet?

SPEAKER_01 15:42

The eyes, and that's something that like is across the board on all of my work. But the eyes really hold a lot of personality in life and really bring that painting to life for the viewer. But yeah, it's like they've got eyebrows, you know, whether they're like visible or not. But yeah, I think that the eyes are something that like I really try and spend the most time on. And when I'm doing murals, I always do the eyes first because people that pass by connect with it a little bit more. So yeah, I feel like the life of an animal is really in its eyes.

Steven Ruffing 16:12

So yeah, I have two chihuahuas, one has a cataract eye. So the the groomer that we go to calls it a galaxy eye, all white. And so that just reminded me of my two subjects in there. I'd love if you want me to show, I could show you real quick. One has no teeth.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

I want to see them, of course.

Steven Ruffing 16:30

Anything to showcase this if you have there, they are.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

Oh, cuties. Oh my gosh.

Steven Ruffing 16:38

Yes, I know. This one has the galaxy eye, this one has no teeth and some wonky eyes.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

They're perfect. Oh my god. They are, they are.

Steven Ruffing 16:47

Sorry, I had to throw that. Any chance I could highlight them, I do. Absolutely. All right, back to business. Back to business. No, I love that. Anytime people highlight pets, it's something that's you know, holds something very close to me. I'm a dog lover. I'm allergic to cats, but I still love cats. So that's really special. What's the response from people that get these portraits that see their pets in this new way? What's that response kind of like?

SPEAKER_01 17:12

It's very emotional, especially if the animal has passed away. So I stopped presenting my work to them in person, uncovered. So I wrap all of my paintings and then walk away because I will cry with that person. I know it's like an they're a family member. So it's like incredibly like heartwarming to see them in like a new form. So yeah, I'm like honored that these people ask me to paint these portraits of their animals, whether they're living or you know, they've moved on. So it's something that I take a lot of pride in and really make sure to like capture as much of the detail in that animal as I possibly can. Another hence why I ask for those detailed photos.

Steven Ruffing 17:50

So yeah, exactly. It's special, it memorializes them, you know, even if they are living, because one day, unfortunately, it sucks. It sucks so bad, but one day it will memorialize them. And I think that's really special to see them in that way because anyone can take a picture, but seeing them in your such specific details and stuff that really pops, I do really think that is special.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

Thank you.

Steven Ruffing 18:12

Yeah, of course. Now, when you do these pet portraits, you do typically work on wood panels, correct? For them. What is it about the wood surface that complements your artistic style better than a traditional canvas?

SPEAKER_01 18:25

So I have never really liked canvas because there is a texture to it. It's almost like a braille. I feel like you can really lose some of those details, but in that wood, I can do a lot of layering that kind of helps the paint look like oils, which is really soft. Um, but also I can build layers for like those hair hair bits and create a lot of depth. So um I prefer to work on wood because of the softness of it versus a canvas.

Legacy, Links, And Closing

Steven Ruffing 18:49

So makes sense. Makes sense. Now, when you're focusing on the preservation, so we're going back and forth here. When you focus on the preservation of species, what do you hope for in the long-term legacy of your artwork that will be for the communities where your murals are located?

SPEAKER_01 19:05

Yeah, so I think that that whole community aspect of like, you know, painting local flora and fauna in the areas where I'm painting, it's helping bring awareness to, you know, us as humans that we are not here alone, that we share this land and we share it with the animals, and we have to be conscious about how we're protecting that space for them. I know that like development can be really hard on a lot of these animals and taking them out of their habitats. So if we can be conscious about that and really creating space for them to be able to go, then we can like live in harmony. But I think that that's something that we always have to be conscious of being here.

Steven Ruffing 19:41

Yeah, very well said. That kind of wraps things up. That's all the questions I had. Anything else that you feel like that that you wanted to add that people people should know?

SPEAKER_01 19:50

I don't think so.

Steven Ruffing 19:51

Open-ended, I know. Yeah, there you go. There you go. And leave it at this. Where can people find you? We'd like to give everyone a chance to kind of get their socials out there, of course, your website, anything that people can know to find you.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Yeah, yeah. You can go to my website at www.alexandriapangburn.com, and then I'm on Instagram at alexandria underscore pangp.

Steven Ruffing 20:14

Perfect. And I advise everyone to go check it out. Really fantastic stuff that you do. It's really incredible work. And uh once again, I just want to thank you for taking your time and and and doing this with us. This was a lot of fun. This is a great interview.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

Yeah, thanks. This was so fun.

Steven Ruffing 20:28

All right, Alex, thank you so much, and thank you everyone for listening. That's all the time we have. We'll see you next time. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Four Worlds Podcast. Until next time, you can catch up on the latest innovations shaping our world at tomorrow'sworld today.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.