In 1999 my artist friend Dearinger was having a huge Disco Boogie Post-Christmas Blues party and we were discussing possible decorations. We're not the crepe-paper streamers kind of people, you know. So I suggested that we make a life size giraffe and Dearinger said sure! The funny part of this story is that we actually proceeded to do it because neither one of us stopped and said, "Hey...Did you know this is insane?"

We started with a wooden frame and then built up the form using chicken wire. Vinny, as we dubbed him, was further constructed using lots of paper mache and plaster, and was painted with Ralph Lauren metallic paint. Two weeks later we had an 11-foot tall giraffe that became the hit of the party. Bill, Steve, Zach, and April also helped construct Vinny.

Vinny is now living with a --yes-- giraffe collector in Pasadena.