After much internal debate about which career path to take – veterinary science or art – Malia attended Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN and obtained her degree in Art (though her love for animals has never stopped).

Malia’s lifelong passion for art and animals has turned into a spirited career of painting, often commissioned work of people’s beloved pets. Though pet portraits are a centric element of her work, she also enjoys large-scale work. Malia’s murals can be viewed in Bozeman, Montana at the Museum of the Rockies as well as closer to her home at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota.

Malia now enjoys a peaceful life in rural Southern Minnesota with her husband and several animals.