The Accidental Adventure of Mattie the Giraffe

Local artist, Andi Scurto, has just released a children's book entitled The Accidental Adventure of Mattie the Giraffe. But the story of this endearing mammal began years ago.

In 2015, her whimsical giraffe won the poster contest at the 20th Annual Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Festival of the Arts. From then on, Mattie would be re-imagined in various original pieces of art and mediums.

Mattie gets a spot at the Destin Commons

The spring of 2018 sees a permanent home for Mattie come to life, as the Destin Commons commissioned Scurto to paint a larger-than-life mural of her giraffe at the popular outdoor shopping venue.

“Somehow, she translates to ‘adventure,’” Andi says of her lanky creation. “Or maybe Mattie just makes people laugh. Who knows?”

Mattie's adventures evolve further

For the past few years, more original pieces of art featuring Mattie have come to life, and glimpses have been released on the artist's Instagram feed. Here, Andi has taken her artsy giraffe to many iconic and exotic locations, such as the Eiffel Tower, the South Pole, Colombia, and even the Jurassic age!

The culmination of a book

Even as Scurto dreamed up her creative giraffe journeys and realized them with colorful paint on canvas, paper and walls, her goal was to write a children's book. "It was always in the back of my mind, with each new location I painted Mattie in," she says. "After creating enough artwork featuring Mattie, I just needed to pen the story of her travels," she continues.

The end result? Her whimsical new book: The Accidental Adventures of Mattie the Giraffe. A fun-filled story of a well-known and locally-born character, born from the mind and heart of this self-taught artist.

How to buy

Visit Andi's website at AndiArt.com, or go directly to her new book page to order.

Published by Joe Scurto
Sunday, October 31, 2021