Going vibrant with endangered species.

There is a growing trend in our elementary schools in which art reflects current issues. meaningful art is a reflection of the times. I've noticed that my students' projects are often current visual responses to what is happening in our world today.

The growing awareness and concern over endangered animals in our world is of great interest to my fifth grade students. Animals have always been a favorite subject for students to draw, paint or sculpt. It seemed logical therefore, to do a project focusing on endangered species.

I began the lesson by introducing the students to the art of Andy Warhol. (Warhol happens to be a native of our area, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.) His Endangered Species series of paintings was very appealing to the students. We discussed the size of the animals in the paintings, the use of fluorescent complementary colors, and the lines that seem to vibrate from the paintings. We discussed why the animals might have been painted in this style during the past decade, as compared to the style of Edward Hicks', A Peaceable Kingdom. Andy Warhol's portrayal of these animals expressed a message of concern for their existence; a concern that was not an issue in Hicks' time.

For the studio activity, the students chose an endangered animal to paint. They first drew their animals from magazine pictures and plastic models. Since we wanted our paintings to reflect the beauty of these animals and the great loss their extinction would be to our world, we drew them large and painted them with fluorescent paints.

To further stress the conflict of this issue, the students used two complementary colors. It became clear to them how red, as the complement of green, would make green stand out and be noticed. The use of orange and blue were seen as two colors in conflict, expressing the conflict between those who seek to save our endangered species, and those who seek to profit by their death.

While the fifth graders were painting their endangered animals, the fourth graders were studying pointillism. The contrast in styles was dramatic. The students discussed the different emotions they felt while looking at the different styles of art. The pointillistic style represented a gentler period. The colors chosen by each artist, the technique used to paint them and the use of line were compared in each of these works of art.

Our endangered species paintings did not go unnoticed at our art show. The paintings peeked out from behind palm trees made by parent volunteers. Everyone who came to the art show commented on the vibrant paintings of these animals, so precious to our fragile world.