People Are Delighted By Darius, The Rat Whose Artsy Owner Taught Him How To Paint With His Feet

We all have our talents and we should be proud of them. But when you’re a rat who paints, you should be… famous. And this little guy sure was. Darius the rat went viral on social media for his artistic abilities numerous times, and, even though he has passed away, his works still bring joy to people all over the world.

Image credits: nebulami

Amalie Markota Andersen, his owner, is an animation and digital arts student. After training her buddy to paint with his feet, she said it took Darius about 10 minutes to complete one piece and that she ultimately sold three or four of his works.

Image credits: Amalie Markota Andersen

“When I had Darius, I got a non-toxic watercolor set, dipped his lil hands and feet in it and just let him walk back and forth on the paper until it started to look like something,” Andersen told INSIDER.

Image credits: Amalie Markota Andersen

Photos of Darius resurfaced on Twitter on Saturday after they were shared by a now-private account. However, Andersen documented Darius’ creative process on Tumblr even before that. Andersen wrote on Tumblr that Darius made his first painting in January 2018.

Image credits: Amalie Markota Andersen

“Darius going viral was very exciting, I was so happy people liked him,” Andersen added. “It is what he deserved!”

Image credits: Amalie Markota Andersen

As Darius’ internet fame grew, Andersen kinda became his manager. But in a totally good way. After selling his works, Andersen used the money to buy Darius a harness so that she could take him outdoors and the two of them could explore the outdoors safely.

Image credits: Amalie Markota Andersen

“I do regret selling the original a little bit,” Andersen said. “But it also makes me very happy thinking that his works are out there somewhere, hopefully still intact and well!”

Andersen adopted Darius in 2017. His age was unknown at the time. She described him as “timid and shy” and cuddly “like a little baby.”

Sadly, Darius passed away earlier this year, but Andersen said their time together really left a mark on her. “I love how so many people still talk about my little Darius,” she wrote. “His memory lives on forever thanks to the thousands of people who fell in love with him.”

Currently, Andersen owns two other rats, Gucci and Mango.