I have been working on and off over the past few years on a series of endangered animal drawings that I hope to make an alphabet book for children. I don’t know exactly where the idea came from, but as a kid I was really interested in the world wildlife fund and other conservation groups. I would spend hours paging through lists and reading about endangered animals. It was hard to fathom then that such beautiful creatures could be fading from our planet. It still is hard to fathom a 6th mass extinction, though not hard to believe given the extent of anthropogenic influences threatening the other life forms that we share this planet with. I have completed 10 drawings so far: Amur Leopard, Bison, Coral Reef, Dolphin, Elephant, Frog, Giant Panda, Hummingbird, Iberian Lynx, and Jaguar.
For my final project, I wanted to put my drawings in a digital format to preserve them as well as make them easy to share. I also wanted to compile them into a book format and begin writing and assembling my children’s book, which I plan on titling “A is for Animals.” My hope is that by using art and the creative format of a book, I may be able to inspire a respect and reverence for nature in others. I wanted to make it a children’s book because, as Catherine Flowers reminded us, there is a lot of hope in future generations. There is still a lot we can do, a lot that
My first colored pencil drawing.
young people can do, when inspired and passionate about a cause. I hope that my art and subtle calls to action in this book may plant seeds of hope that grow in younger generations.
