This book springs from my personal search for the positivity I so desperately needed at a difficult time in my life. The deaths of my mother and a favourite uncle, and a difficult recovery period for my husband after hip surgery, weighed heavily on me. The moments I scraped together for creativity between my responsibilities, were filled with a fantasy of escapism into a dreamlike world. I conjured creatures, places, and adventures I had never before imagined. My own zebras came to me from my fellow artists, woodcarvers, family, and friends. I learned to count even the smallest of blessings they brought me as the treasures they represented in my life. I hope to share that outlook with others, and to put it into practice in my own life on a daily basis. I invited Annette Wichmann to join me in this project as I am a true admirer of her beautiful work. Special thanks to Connie Geerts and, of course, Annette Wichmann.

This book is for Sheila Brinsmead, Neal Monaghan, and Patrick Doyle.