She’s pink, porcine, and paint-brush obsessed. And Pigcasso the painting pig is taking the world by storm, with proceeds from her colorful paintings ranging as high as $4,000 — all for a good cause: To help pig-kind (and other farm animals as well).

Meet Pigcasso, the Painting Pig

Pigcasso’s story began when she was rescued from a slaughterhouse as a tiny piglet by South African animal rights activist Joanne Lefson, who established Farm Animal SA, a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing farm animals and changing the public’s perception of them.

Pigcasso Paints Her World

At her new home, the now-450 lb porker loved playing with a variety of toys, but paintbrushes were her favorite, Lefson told National Geographic. They were, she said, “the only thing she didn’t eat.”

So Lefson decided to see if she could train the now three-year-old porker to paint, using a bit of positive reinforcement — tasty snacks. She also provided canvases and paint, and Pigcasso turned out to be a quick learner, according to Modern Farmer. She even paints portraits of President Donald Trump, and while these portraits can be considered rather loose interpretations, she certainly has the president’s color down pat.

Painting pig loves her work

Pigs are naturally curious creatures who love to explore, and in a domestic environment, they can become bored easily. So they are frequently given toys (like balls, for instance, which they can bat around). Dog tricks work well too because pigs can easily learn their name or be taught to sit.

“Pigs investigate their environment with their snout and mouth and actively grab, bite, lick, move, and root objects when given the chance,” said Kristina Horback, assistant professor of Animal Science at the University of California at Davis.

What’s especially interesting is that pigs are dichromatic, meaning that the only colors they see are blues, greens, and yellows. But this painting pig also adds a dab of red to her artwork from time to time.

Lefson believes that creativity should be spontaneous — and this painting pig’s work certainly fits the bill.

“The gift is just to look at Pigcasso’s art and not be ruled by trying to define it,” she notes.

Because after all, her artwork is a gift to those of us who enjoy it, and to her fellow farm animals she helps to rescue every day.

And after all her hard work…

…She definitely loves a good sleep

Why not watch Pigcasso at work and find out more about Farm Sanctuary SA in the charming videos below?

Featured image courtesy of Farm Sanctuary SA, via Screen Capture from YouTube video