Juried acceptance into this show is the first step for Santora in achieving Signature Member status in the Wildlife Artist Association. A member must be juried into three sanctioned art shows of the association by the show judges. Once Signature Member status is achieved, the artist may display the initials of the association, 'WAA,' after their signature on their work, indicating that the artist has achieved a high level of artistic professionalism.

The subjects of Santora's three accepted paintings portray 'Hercules,' a male snow leopard;' 'PJ,' a male Grant's zebra; and 'China Doll,' a female Bengal tiger. Known for her crinkled paper paintings, two of the pieces, 'PJ' and 'Prowler' (Hercules), are a combination of crumpled tissue paper adhered to watercolor paper and painted with watercolor, gouache and ink. 'China Doll' is painted on a thin piece of crumpled rice paper called 'Masa' paper, which is specifically made for this purpose, and then watercolor and ink were applied. Both techniques impart a 'jungle' effect to the painting. Santora spends countless hours traveling, observing, sketching, photographing and studying wildlife. It has been said that her love of animals is very evident in her paintings.

For 20 years nature has been her subject: wildlife, domestic animals, seascapes and flowers. Since 1998, Santora's work has focused heavily on feline art (the endangered 'great' cats) and conservation. Through her unique perspective, she portrays the individual beauty, majesty and personality of the animal along with the wildlife preservation message. In her recent work, Santora has expanded on the endangered aspects of the feline, treating her ideas conceptually. Motivated by what she learns in regard to the dangers that face the exotic cats, these works have a story to tell. Santora continues to donate a portion of her 'big' cat sales to feline conservation centers.

The Wildlife Artist Association was founded in 1992 by Larry Waggoner, who saw a need for talented artists to band together for the promotion of wildlife conservation through professional quality wildlife art. The purpose and objectives of WAA therefore, is to apply special emphasis on the protection of endangered species, while supporting wildlife care and rescue facilities by promoting their members artistic work.

Santora's goals and those of the WAA mesh perfectly. "We have chosen to center on wildlife as the subject of our art. ...we express with our art the anguish of seeing the habitat and the animals who dwell therein diminish in both quality and quantity. When we paint we want the viewer to see these magnificent animals as something so beautiful and precious that to lose them would be a great loss to all future generations. We want to educate our viewers of the need to establish open areas for wildlife habitat, establish captive breeding programs and stop the wanton slaughter of animals for commercial gain."

Recipient of over four-dozen regional awards, Santora has also been recognized for her wildlife photography by the National Wildlife Federation as a finalist in 2001 and 2002 in their Annual Wildlife Photography Contest. Collected internationally, Santora has exhibited in numerous solo, juried and group shows locally including Haley's Antique Center, Athol, MA and the Fitchburg Art Museum as well as at many locations along the east coast including Plymouth, MA, southern Maine, New Hampshire, Florida, New York City, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Tain l'Hermitage, France.

The Victor Valley Museum and Art Gallery is located at 11873 Apple Valley Road, Apple Valley, CA. Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12-4 pm.