Artist for the Animals
Twelve-year-old Bria Neff loves art and animals. So she puts the two together by painting pictures of animals that are endangered. With her mom's help, she sells the paintings to raise money for groups that protect animals and their living places. We asked Bria about her work.
When I was eight, I joined in an art competition run by the International Fund for Animal Welfare. I found out that there are thousands of endangered animals, and I wanted to help. Since I love to draw, I thought I could use my talents to introduce endangered animals.
I paint animals that really touch me. I research them and read about them and study their living habits. Sometimes, after researching them, I put their names into a box and just pick one to paint.
I complete a painting in one to two weeks. I start by looking up lots of pictures of the animal in its living places. That gives me great ideas.
Knowing that I'm making a difference for animals and their living places and that I have encouraged others to do the same.
I want to tell them that it doesn't matter how old you are. Do something you love, and you can make a difference. We just need to work together and believe we can do great things.
| A. How did you get started? B. How long does a painting take? C. What will you say to other kids? D. When will your book come out? E. How do you decide what to paint? F. What's the most meaningful about what you do? |
