Dorota Porczak, an artist and the owner of Great Playtime Daycare in Franklin Square, has managed to merge her love for art with early childhood education, inspiring kids to creatively express themselves.
Porczak, 37, a native of Franklin Square, has taken on a variety of artistic endeavors, including painting murals featuring popular cartoon characters for children’s rooms and local businesses, often customizing the themes based on what her clients want.
Her artistic work especially extends to her role at the family daycare, where she enjoys introducing children to creative activities.
“We do lots of arts and crafts,” she said. “I’m passionate about helping kids explore art and become comfortable expressing themselves because it’s so important for their development.”
Porczak said she believes that fostering creativity helps children build confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
She also discussed the joy of tailoring her murals to suit a variety of settings. “I’ve painted everything from business spaces to newborn nurseries and even teenagers’ rooms,” she said. “Some people ask for cartoon characters, others want animals or beach scenes — whatever fits their vision.”
This versatility has helped her build a strong reputation in the community.
In addition to her mural work, Porczak collaborates on the comic series “Phil the Pig,” which she began illustrating in 2019. She explained that the series follows a family of anthropomorphic pigs who “look like actual pigs, but they walk on two legs, and they
speak and do everything human,” including going to school and having jobs.
She said the story begins with a farmer who “decided that he kind of didn’t really like how animals actually shortened humans,” and experimented on them so they could live more like people. After his wife found out, she left and took the animals, eventually moving them to New York.
Porczak added that the series continues to evolve, with new stories still being developed, including one about a young pig named Dora, who goes to camp and struggles to fit in because she snores. In the story, Dora eventually tells others about herself and is accepted by a new friend who understands her differences, turning it into a message about acceptance and friendship.
Nick Bertozzi, Porczak’s former professor and mentor, praised her work.
“‘Phil the Pig’ offers a humorous and heartfelt look at life,” he said. “Dorota has always been dedicated to capturing life’s details, and it’s wonderful to see her continuing to create such meaningful art.”
Porczak shared that her interest in drawing started at a very young age. “I was always drawn to drawing itself,” she said, recalling how, as a child, she enjoyed reading comic strips with her father after school. “I would practice copying those comics and spent a lot of time collecting and reading them.”
Porczak studied cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, graduating in 2012. There, she learned essential skills like creating comic panels and assembling graphic novels.
“The school taught me how to put comics and graphic novels together,” she explained.
Her sister, Anna McCombs, spoke about Porczak’s impact on their community and family.
“She is deeply committed to bringing art to everyone around her, especially the children in her care,” McCombs said. “Her projects show kids there’s no single right way to create, and finishing their work boosts their confidence.”
McCombs also shared how even today, Porczak’s children do not want to repaint the murals that they had created, but they want to keep them as long as possible.
Porczak described how her career evolved naturally from a childhood love of comic strips to professional artistry.
“I realized in high school that I could make a career out of drawing,” she said. “My high school teacher encouraged me to explore colleges that focused on art, and that’s when I decided on cartooning.”
She explained how her work blends illustration and comic art, allowing her to work on both full-page drawings and smaller panels.
Looking ahead, Porczak hopes to continue expanding her creative projects, and she’s also developing children’s books with writer Brandon Palmer.
“I have a couple of children’s books in the works and am gathering publishers and agents to help bring them to life,” she said. “My dream is to keep blending art and education, inspiring kids to express themselves through creativity.”
