This was a dream project and an honor to represent Walt’s wonderful creation: Mickey Mouse, an American icon. When I received the proposal from the Walt Disney Company to paint 100 Mickey’s (in 2002), I packed up my paints and brushes and flew to a little island in the Caribbean. Inspired by nature’s colors — and the occasional plunge in the river — I returned two weeks later with the first 21 mice. That was the easy part. The next 79 were more challenging and took 16 months to finish. The challenge was to make each one a different pose, style, or medium, as well as paying homage to the history of Mickey Mouse.