Created: 11/17/2009 5:56:53 AM 
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The dolphins from Marineland are painting for the St. Augustine art festival.
Sonny and Alvin are the breakout hits, cranking out artwork poolside.
A human could take hours to accomplish a masterpiece. It takes the dolphins six colors, six strokes, and about 10 minutes. Just like any other tricks, these painting movements are rehearsed and trained, at first without the brush or paint. When they get it down, they're given a special brush that fits in their mouth, and they twirl in circles with the brush pressed against the canvas. The trick is to find the hidden dolphins in every painting. It's Alvin's signature way of leaving his mark on each piece of art. "They each have their own unique style," said Marineland's Melissa Berdine. "The dolphins have their own painting style and you can really tell when it's a finished product which dolphin did that painting." The St. Augustine Art Association donated a booth at the festival to Marineland. The dolphin art will be for sale, raising awareness about the dolphins and helping pay for their conservation efforts. The festival is Nov. 28 and 29 at Francis Field. Marineland is offering its own Deal of the Day this weekend. The attraction is free from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Radio Disney Road Crew will be there for the fun from 3 to 5 p.m. They'll have, of course, dolphins, games, prizes and Radio Disney music. Marineland is located at 9600 Oceanshore Blvd., St. Augustine, FL. The number is (888) 279-9194.
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