Winner

AVANI – age 12 

Poem title: All God’s Creatures?

The earth, all of life

comes to exist,

many people question how.

If all life exists,

Is there any control at all?

Humans seem to be the answer,

But look what they’ve done

To the world today.

Should we even believe,

‘All God’s creatures’

when humans are the anomaly.

We don’t see other species

‘civilising’ on a global scale,

The way ‘humanity’ has.

Probably there is no God

It’s just the earth changing, evolving

controlling life where

“the fittest survive”

In that way

Humanity lives and thrives

But that’s just by chance

Maybe chance is all that controls us

No God or any other religious presence

But chances of extinction increase

Thanks to our ‘humanity’

So many species already extinct

We must ask ourselves,

Are Humans to be extinct too?

Archie & Warren – Year 9

Poem title: Divine Tapestry – A poem showing all God’s creations and wonders

In realms unseen, where wonders abide,
A tapestry woven, celestial guide.
From soaring eagles to miniscule ants,
In harmonies chorus, creation enchants.

All God’s creatures, diverse and arrayed,
In fragile beauty, a testament laid.
From mountains grand, to rivers meandering,
Each one holds a purpose, divinely gathering.

Behold the lion, majestic and strong,
Symbol of courage, where grace belongs.
With regal mane and untamed stride,
A reminder of strength both fierce and wide.

The gentle deer in forest’s embrace,
Gracefully dances with elegance and grace.
In peaceful demeanour, a picture of trust,
A symbol of innocence, pure and just.

The soaring birds, in azure skies,
With wings outstretched, freedom personified.
Melodies echoing, their voices raise,
A symphony of praise, their heartfelt displays.

Beneath the waves, where wonders thrive,
An underwater world, where life does strive.
From coral reefs to creatures of the deep,
A kaleidoscope of beauty, secrets they keep.

The buzzing bees, industrious and wise,
Toiling for honey, their labour defies.
In delicate dome, they bring forth life,
A lesson in diligence, free from strife.

In the dense forests where creatures dwell,
In harmony they coexist and excel.
From tiny insects to noble beasts,
All interconnected, nature’s symphony released.

From every corner of the Earth’s em brace,
All God’s creatures hold a sacred pllace.
Each one unique, yet part of a whole,
An intricate tapestry, a divine role.

So let us cherish, with awe and delight,
The miracles of creation, shining bright.
For in all God’s creatures, great and small,
We find the reflection of love’s eternal call.

Winner

LISA – year 6 

Poem title: Treated Like Humans?

The creatures God made,

Cruelly killed by blades,

They say their brains aren’t on the same level,

But are the people actually the devils?

Why the hatred? Why the cages?

Why remove them from their places

Every time they are being chewed,

Do we really need them for our food?

Do they really need love?

Even those we think are tough,

Should they be treated human like?

Even though we’re different types?

If animals did have a soul

Would we all be loved as a whole?

Would the lions, the tigers, the sheep be free?

Would the animals ‘high and low’ find peace?

The creatures are saying their last prayers,

Some species growing fainter and fainter,

Why is the world getting so cruel?

Why are people doing the things they do?

If the world treated every creation with love,

If the hatred in the world was gone,

Will the joyful animals cheer?

Would they now know there’s no more to fear?

Winner

ST JOHN’S ACADEMY

St John’s used the RE Today resources supplied by Veganism in Education to discuss the big question ‘All God’s Creatures?’  Over a series of RE lessons in Years 1 and 2, the children thought about what we learn from religious stories on how we should treat animals. They also linked this to work around the Take One Picture project from the National Gallery, looking closely at the painting ‘Tiger in a Tropical Storm’.

Every pupil created their own artwork and here are examples of the narratives that accompanied their pictures.

Elijah age 6 – We can stop the chainsaw man from chopping down the trees. God told people to pour water on the fire to save the ants.

George age 6 – We care for every creature.  I look after the school dog. When I am older, I will make a house for an animal. Muhammad put the fire out to save the ants.

Ellie age 6 – God created the world. You should never hurt an animal.  Everyone should care for animals.  I will save ants by putting the fire out.

Harper age 7 – My picture is about a snow leopard, four different ways.  I have looked at its eyes, fur, head and legs. In the wild snow leopards are endangered. The story of Rebecca and the Well teaches us we need to treat animals the way we want to be treated.

Nathaniel age 7 – My picture is about a tiger. I have looked at its eyes, fur, head and legs. In the wild tigers are endangered.  The story of Mohammad and the Ants teaches us that animals get scared just like us.  We should plant more trees and vegetables to feed Rosie and Lucy so that my tortoises always have enough to eat.

Brooke age 7 – My picture is about a snow leopard. The snow leopard is one of the world’s big cats that is endangered.  The story of Rebecca and the Well teaches us that we should treat all of God’s creatures nicely.

Daisy age 7 – My picture is about a tiger. In the wild tigers are endangered.  The story of Mohammed and the Crying Camel teaches us that we need to care for animals. I will try to make sure I fill up the bowl with fresh water for my dog.

Matilda age 7 – My picture is about a snow leopard.  I have looked at the endangered snow leopard’s fur, legs, eyes and head.  The story of Rebecca and the Well teaches us about how we should treat animals and other humans. It makes me think I will be kind to my friends and give my cat and dog more food and water. I will try to stop eating meat like chicken, fish, beef and sausages.

Winner

WOODVILLE SCHOOLS FEDERATION – Reception Class Ages 5-6

Children focused on the ocean as a habitat for animals.  They studied animals closely looking at the awesomeness of each living thing and how they were suited in their habitat.

They created their own animal, selecting and using their own materials in our workshop area. We had an exert from Genesis over the artwork, “So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving things with which the water teems…”

Inspired by the Sikh story of The Crocodile and the Priest, children talked about the value placed on life and who was more important – animals or humans.

“God made all living things. We should respect everything.”

“A lot of animals are peoples’ best friends.  They are equal.”

LINTHWAITE SCHOOL

The children read the Old Testament chapter about the dove in the story of Noah’s Ark, and we thought about all the different animals mentioned in the Bible.

Winner

AUBREY age 5 – ‘The smallest creatures are important’

Winner

JESSICA age 6 – ‘The Sea Animals’

I chose to draw a whale because it looks like a cloud. I made it look like a cloud because the sea animals could be above the cloud because God can create anything from heaven, I included different symbols of different religions because they all agree that animals should be included in the golden rule.

Winner

JAUDE age 6 – ‘Take Care of the World’

I have painted a good side and a bad side to living. The good side is showing that the girl is taking care of the environment because Allah told us to keep the world and animals safe.

ADAM age 6 – ‘All of God’s Creatures’

All God’s creatures have to be looked after. I love God’s creatures because they are all God’s animals on Earth.

Winner

ELLIOT – age 11 – ‘We Are One’

The reason I chose this theme is because we live side by side on this planet with the animals and should have a better understanding of them. In my picture I have drawn a face made of animals with writing as hair to show humans and animals are the same; even though we look different we all have the same emotions and feelings on the inside. In RE we learn about what other people believe and think so why don’t we study what the animals we live with think?

We don’t always consider other living beings and some people don’t even respect animals. This work is my way of saying we all live together, and we are all the same.

Winner

IEVA age 12 –  ‘We’re all God’s Creatures’

This drawing represents how most humans emphasise the superiority and greatness of humans over animals.  The woman’s face makes up a puzzle piece of an animal portraying how animals are a massive part of our lives, yet we treat them as if they are below us. If we are all God’s creatures, why do a lot of people mistreat animals even paying to use them in animal testing for products we don’t even need?

If Christians know we are all God’s creatures, why do they kill and use God’s creatures as if they aren’t made by God? Why aren’t Christians vegan or vegetarian because eating God’s creation would be disrespecting what he made? We should be gentle and humble so why do we do this?

Winner

OLIVIA age 12 – ‘Is this the Light?’

My artwork is free to the viewers own interpretations but can be seen to be a light source or being. When I made it, I thought of it as if every living thing had been taken out of the material world this would be what remains, perhaps the soul or essence of all life.

Throughout time human beings have tried to prove themselves to be the superior or more advanced species. However, in the eyes of an all-loving God all their creations are of equal value. I made this artwork to show that everything and everyone is valuable and worthy of unconditional love.

Winner

ALICE age 12 – music – ‘God’s Animals’

My Art in Heaven work is a musical piece which depicts just a few of God’s animals on Earth. I hope people will connect to the different animals which can be imagined in the piece.

In the introduction, I bring to life the tranquillity of the ocean. It reminds me of Sealife, and I visualize an underwater dream life which God created in the very beginning.  My vision of birds tweeting in the jungles and skies comes in after the introduction with the right hand playing the tune and the left hand playing a constant background rhythm. The sound of the string ensemble also helps to create the harmony. Finally, the last part of the piece represents all the land animals but particularly my favourite, the elephant.  The chords remind me of the plodding steps each family takes.

At first, the inspiration for the song came to me as a sweet and lovely tune. One thing led to another, each note, chord and rhythm built up to bring the piece together.

When I initially played the piece on the piano, I thought it could describe a perfect animal kingdom in the world.  Some of the piece – specifically the left hand of the piano – is inspired by Ludovico Einaudi, an Italian composer who I enjoy playing.

Psalms such as “sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” and other biblical quotes express how music can be a means to praise God and all his creation.

I don’t think my work instantly connects to religion, but as a piece of music, I believe it can connect with people who hear it and truly understand it and is a celebration of ‘All God’s Creatures.’

Winner

KODI age 14 – Handmade world-globe – ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’

I made a snow globe of the world. It comes to life with swirling glitter and miniature animals, showcasing the beauty and diversity of our planet. Wrapped around the snow globe, the quote ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ from the Christian hymn serves as a reminder of the preciousness of every living creature on earth.  I invite you, the viewers when holding it, to contemplate the wonders of creation, all God’s creatures, and the gratitude we should feel for the incredible gift of these animals and the world, with every shake you make!

The deepest thing about my work is the celebration of the world’s inherent beauty and the awareness of our responsibility to cherish and protect it.  The snow globe sums up the profound connection between nature and humanity, emphasising the harmony that should exist between the two.

The religion that inspired my work is Christianity.  The belief that God created the world full of splendour and beauty forms the foundation of my artwork. It reflects the Christian value of stewardship, urging us to care for and safeguard the creatures and natural wonders that grace our planet. It reminds us to act as responsible caretakers to keep the world sparkling, just as God intended; ‘And God saw everything that he made, and behold, it was very good’ (Genesis 1:31) or in Proverbs 12:10 where He tells us ‘The righteous care for the needs of their animals.’

I try to showcase the diverse and captivating array of animals and their habitats within my snow globe. You can see a world teeming with beauty, from the majestic creatures of the savannah to the colourful birds in the sky, each element contributes to the overall splendour of the scene, hopefully creating a sense of awe and wonder.

Doing this work has made me think deeply about the interdependence of all life forms.  I’ve come to realise that each creature has a purpose and place in the world and without each of them, the world wouldn’t be so glittery.  I hope to inspire viewers to take action in preserving our planet for future generations and keep it glittering.  Can you keep the sparkle alive?

GRACE – age 13 – ‘The Flowering Fox’

In my artwork you can see a fox with a bullet in his face.  I got the inspiration from fox hunting; humans don’t have the right to kill them for sport.

My artwork is also inspired by Ecclesiastes 3:19-21. This passage sums up the fact that animals should have the same rights as humans and humans don’t rule over them. To support this, the first book in the Bible tells of God’s instruction to humanity to be stewards of the world and take care of God’s creation.

I hope people will notice the mountains I placed on top of the fox’s head. This represents how the world is evolving and becoming more technological but that doesn’t help the fact our earth is in crisis from pollution and greenhouse gases which are destroying our earth’s vegetation.  In Genesis it states: Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds”. And it was so (1:11)

So why have previous generations destroyed this? Lots of people say, we the 12-year-olds are the new generation to save our planet. But what if we can’t, will we just be relying on the next generation and the generation after that?  What if we are running out of time to make the changes needed to save our world.  What can be done now – that’s what I think we should all ask ourselves.

LILY – age 13 – ‘Animism’

My piece was inspired by the belief that all animals have a soul and a spirit.  I believe that when an animal passes their spirit and soul lives on. They’re still there, we just can’t see them. I outlined the whale in gold, this is to represent the soul of a whale living on.  I used gold paint for a mysterious and unique look and then dotted a pattern on the underneath. I was inspired by patterns on totem poles and different animal spirits from different cultures.

Winner

SOPHIA age 14 – ‘Anamism – Purpose’

I believe that all of God’s creatures should be able to have their own purpose within the world. They all have lives, emotions and their independence and should be treated with respect as they too have souls.

My inspiration for this piece of art connects the theme ‘All God’s Creature’s with a famous quote by Daphne Sheldrick who said, ‘Our ultimate goal should be to leave a world where all creatures can live freely, in harmony with nature, and without fear of human exploitation.’ Both animals and humans deserve a life of peace, and we should think compassionately about the actions and choices we make, knowing all living beings are interconnected.

Winner

KSENIA age 14 – ‘The Pets in our lives’

I chose the theme ‘All God’s Creature’s’ because I wanted to show how important animals are in the lives of each of us, whether we realise it or not. Animals are our friends. We live with them, rejoice for them, miss them and love them. Animals change our lifestyle, make us happy when they are happy, and sad when they are not feeling well. The death of an animal is like the death of a loved one.

My painting ‘Art in Heaven’ is about our relationship with our companion animals. Each animal has its own character, personality and hence a soul.  One of the passages of scripture which connects to my work comes from Ecclesiastes 3:19

‘For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies so does the other.  They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beast, for all is vanity.’

I’ve also been inspired by the Ukrainian artist Olga Wilson, who draws the souls of people and animals who have died due to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

I hope my artwork will motivate people to notice the huge part that every animal plays in the lives of each of us, how important they are and will begin treating them as equals and will never ever hurt one.

In this digital painting, the sky itself appears as a blazing furnace while the sea steams beneath its heat. As the golden light of a warming atmosphere encroaches on a whale shark, the creature seemingly has nowhere to turn. This confusing environment paired with the constant threat of ghost nets, makes this whale shark a prisoner within its own home.

I hope that my artwork provokes a sense of amazement for God’s creation yet also an obligation for its protection. God first called us to be stewards and hold dominion over the Earth, and he never revoked this calling, even after the fall. The words across the image of the whale shark are taken from Genesis 1:26

These magnificent creatures and their many struggles must be brought to light. I hope to convince viewers that the ocean God has made is worth conserving and that the stars below must continue to shine.

GRACE – Age 10 – ‘All God’s Creatures’

Tigers are awesome, proud, strong creatures and I chose the tiger to give my artwork a powerful focus.  I used collage to give the tiger more depth.  My tiger is surrounded by leaves which have the names of other animals on them, both British animals and other rarer animals because however big or small, they are all equally important in God’s eyes.

‘Always be kind’ is written in the middle – a message to humans to look after the animals in our world as we are the ones destroying it, including the habitats of the animals included in my art.

Christians believe that God made this world, but whatever your beliefs we need to look after the natural world before it is completely destroyed with nothing left for the future.   I think God would be ashamed of what humans have done to His world.

AGNES – Age 13 – ‘What Have We Become?’

I chose to do this painting of a small, scared girl who is being silenced. In this world, with all the wars and crime happening, people feel they cannot speak out as they are trapped.  God created us and we can become hero’s or monsters who start wars, murder, rape, rob and violate laws. Not all God’s creatures are pure and innocent. When humans and animals are suffering don’t choose to look the other way, be the one who addresses the problem not the one that hides the problem.

Emilie – Age 10 – All Animals are Equal

My picture represents the theme ‘all Gods creatures’ as it shows how all animals are equal, and we all can have the same amount of respect even if we live on land or sea. I’m trying to say that we are all the same and nothing is better about us.

AIMEE– Age 14 – ‘Humans are Animals Too’

My painting is based on the parting of the Red Sea where Moses holds up his staff and God parts the sea for him and the Israelites to cross.  The dove at the top of the picture is the Holy Spirit and the two silhouettes are Moses and the child he helped. I chose Moses and the Israelites as my theme because people tend to forget that humans are God’s creatures too.

DARCY  ‘They Know Him’

I think something misunderstood and not very often taught is the spirituality of animals, one of God’s most diverse creations. He designed all creatures, from insects to elephants, and we are forever discovering the lengths of his art.

In the Old Testament, Genesis 1:21 we read ‘And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the water bought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind, and God saw that it was good.’ I believe He was pleased with his creations and created them to be inherently good.

Again, in the Old Testament we read ‘Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgement of the LORD.’ (Jeremiah 8:7)

I chose the title they ‘They Know Him’, because humans don’t appear to know the ways of God, or ignore what God requires of them, but animals know and respect Him as their creator.  In my piece, I hope you can notice that all the animals seem to be looking towards Jesus in the middle; I feel if He paid us a visit, they would all instantly recognise Him as their maker and know exactly who he was.

DELI – Age12 – ‘Creatures of God’

In my art piece I have tried to represent what animals mean to me and how they are connected.  The vines represent how animals are intertwined with God and each other spiritually, this means a lot to me and I’m sure many others. Personally, I believe that animals do belong to God, and they should be treated respectfully just like God should be treated well.  

In my picture I have drawn a sun and a moon.  The sun represents hope for the animals that are ‘silenced’ in abattoirs.  Just like humans, animals have souls, emotions and working minds. The moon has an aurora of mystery and represents there is always light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how long or winding it may be. I’ve drawn the world to show animals were created to live on this planet in peace and tranquillity without us ‘disrupting’ them.

I want to show creatures of all kinds that one day, whether it be here on earth or up in heaven, they will get the happiness they deserve. Even the quirkiest of animals deserve to be protected and cared for.

Creating this piece made me think about many things, such as whether I agree with the way the world defines animals and how we use them, even why they are here with us in the first place. I chose to include images of a cow and a rhino.

The cow is there to show animals are much than just dairy and meat products. Calves are separated so soon from their mums for our own human benefit and consumption. To my mind, this is not what God wanted for his creatures.  

The Rhino is a white Rhino, there’s only a couple left in the wild. They have been poached and dehorned for money and ‘sport’. These beautifully created animals should be able to roam free without our having to protect them from other harmful people. Yet, these strong mammals cannot save themselves from the big bullets piercing through their thick skin.

The poison dart frog, peacock butterfly, sea horse, green tree python and the secretary bird all prove how spectacular they are with their bright skins and feathers and they can thrive without us! They deserve to be in the world flying, hopping, swimming not cooped up in cages.

God created creatures, and the way we treat them helps us to gauge how much we are corrupting our world. We just need to realise that and act upon it.

ESME – Age12 ‘Are we polluting from Within?’

I chose the title ‘Are we polluting from Within?’ because I felt that all of God’s creatures including humans depend on each other and we have lost our way with our wasteful lives.

A quote from the holy book which is relevant to my artwork comes from Genesis 1:24-26

 ‘Let us make mankind in our image, our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all over all the creatures that move along the ground.’

God gave us stewardship over all the creatures in the world and we are ruining it.  What can we do to stop this?

Looking at my artwork, I hope people will notice how we are all interconnected through the earth, sea and sky and mankind should be protecting this. The tree shows the root of all life, and all the animals depend upon each other to survive.  If we keep destroying their homes and polluting the world, God’s animals will no longer survive.

My painting has a spiritual element because it depicts how God wanted us to help the animals and planet flourish, but we are ruining it. The layers of plastic at the bottom of the sea show how we are suffocating the earth with our selfishness and greed.

The inspiration for my painting came from my love of animals and the natural world. I wanted to show there is beauty in all creatures and that we are all inter-linked and God created us all to live on this amazing planet in harmony.

I used several mediums in the painting. I used watercolours to create a rainbow wash effect for the background. Then using pencil, I drew the tree and the animals and painted this using acrylic paints. At the end, I used some highlighting pens to add detail. For the final touch, I found some plastic packets and shrank them in the oven then stuck them to the sea floor to show the pollution.

GRACE – Age 10 – ‘A Waste of Space?’

I have drawn this piece to symbolise how God’s creatures help us and we should be grateful. Some people think animals are a waste of time and don’t do anything for our world and so can treat them badly, but they’re wrong.

Animals help so many people, they can be assistance dogs or therapy donkeys supporting our community and disabled people. Animals are our friends and make us really happy, but not everyone realises or appreciates that. People destroy their sources of food and ruin their habitats, this can hurt the animals but even worse, they can die.

Animals are endangered because of us, but these animals are not a waste of space they have a right to be here. We need to care about them. I have drawn a rainbow to symbolise hope as I believe God created us all as good people and we must love and care for all his animals.

JUNO – Age 10 ‘A Home for All, Great or Small’

My artwork is meant to represent how living things should not be fearful of their companions on our planet earth and should have the right to be comfortable in their own habitat or home.

All living beings are individually different, and there are differences between species, but we should all have the same rights and be treated equally. I hope that my painting will encourage humans to think about the consequences of their actions and think about the fact we as living beings with emotions, anxiety and pain, should know how it feels to be weak and afraid. I hope that we as beings with empathy, will have the basic goodness never to wish those feelings upon another soul, be they animal or human.

LEVEN – Age 13- ‘Equality’

I chose the title ‘Equality’ because it is my understanding that all living beings are equal. My artwork depicts humans evolving from other animals; as we are all living creatures, all deserve to be treated equally.  I think most humans have forgotten about our roots and separate and elevate our species over animals on the false assumption only we can be ‘civilised’.

All God’s creatures are made to maintain an ecological balance on this most beautiful planet earth. When we do not treat other livings beings with equality and respect that balance is lost. Humanity needs to remember that all animals are equal, and humans are not more equal than other animals.

LUKE Age 13 ‘Trophy Hunting’

My artwork is about animals being caged, hunted and killed, just to make decorations, money or just for ‘sport’. This is morally wrong; we should treat animals fairly.  I’ve been influenced by documentaries and films which show the needless capture and death of animals by hunters.

Doing this artwork has made me think about the many dangers’ animal face and the cruel conditions they are forced to experience. All creatures on earth are equal, so why do we still hunt and cage animals?

In the picture, I have tried to make the art style quite dark, to reflect what the animals may be feeling.

MARTHA – Age 10 ‘The Hungry Lion’ 

Psalm 104:21 The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.

I chose the title ‘The Hungry Lion’ because it says in the scripture animals such as lions need food from God but the food He provides is dying out because of the activities of humans.  

Humans aren’t more important than other animals, so we need to give up some of the things we have so they can continue to be fed and have safe environments to live in.  We are all God’s Creatures, and we all belong to him.

My artwork connects to religion because all religions respect the animals of God.  I like that my piece is very colourful, bringing together all the colours of the world. My lion’s eyes are narrow making it look sad. The background is covered to make it look like a mane and on the mane I’ve written the Scripture, which I think is important. Symbolically, God gives the food which ‘makes up’ the lion, just as the mane typically ‘makes up’ the identity of a lion.

God looks after his animals including us, but we don’t look after other animals.

MOLLY – Age 11 ‘Our Beautiful Planet’

This picture is about habitats being destroyed and what our world was like before. I am showing what we are doing to our earth and the animals.

Genesis 1:28

God said, ‘have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’

We have betrayed God. Animals are dying and our planet is being destroyed.

OLIVER– Age 7 ‘Caring About Creatures’   

We need to get rid of pollution because we want to have animals. We need to get rid of it, so the animals and our pets don’t die. Doing this work made me think about animal dying because we have been talking about a green planet.  What I like best about my work is that I did 3D parts. We don’t want animals in danger. It makes me upset because I like animals and hate them dying.

SHELBY – Age 11 – ‘Brilliant Bees’

Doing this work has made me think about how much we are destroying the planet. Picking flowers and plants result in bees having no food. This affects the whole world because it’s not just the bee’s diet being lost but also other animals’ diets as well. Bees are in decline from loss of habitat and food sources, exposure to pesticides and the effects of climate change. We need to recognise that bees are important to all of nature and our lives.

ST JOHN’S CofE PRIMARY – Reception/Year1 (Age 4-6) ‘Respect God’s Creatures’

We have made lots of animals that live under the deep, blue sea, and animals that live on land.   We were inspired by our theme of All God’s Creatures. God created animals on the fifth and sixth day of the story of creation.  God wants Christians to look after all the animals because he doesn’t want them to die.  He made animals for us and Christians must respect what God created.   It took God a long time and a lot of effort to make His planet and creatures and it would be rude of Christians not to look after it.

GODSTONE PRIMARY AND NURSERY SCHOOL – Age 7-8 years – ‘Uniting as One’

By creating different faces of both humans and animals, we have worked together to exhibit some of the many creatures of the earth.  The idea of drawing half a human face and half an animal face as one represents that both types of creatures are different but also similar in many unique ways.  God’s creatures are all living, and it does not matter whether we are human or not, we all belong to the same world and have an important purpose on God’s earth.  Animals, insects or any other creature are all creations of God and have the same value as humans.  By including lots of different animals alongside drawings of our own faces, we are exhibiting the world’s diversity among God’s creation, whist also showing how they can unite together on the wings of an eagle.  In Christianity, an eagle is a symbol of strength. If we continue to value each other and our purposes in the world, we can become stronger together.

I was inspired by Luke 12: 6-7   In this painting I wanted to show that God thinks that every living thing is equal including animals. Even though the sparrows are given little value by humans, they don’t become any less valuable to God, not one of them is forgotten.

Grace – ‘Save the Animals’ 

From Koalas to pandas

And gorillas to the polar bears

They’re going extinct

It’s just not fair

The climate is changing

What can we do

To help these animals

And save the planet too?

If we recycle our rubbish

And plant more trees

We can save the turtles

And help save the bees.

Some people believe

That if they pray

God will help us

And save the day.

Wherever you’re from

And whatever you believe

If we come together for the planet

That’s what we’ll achieve.

Lily – age 13 – ‘Creations’

The title I chose is Creations because my drawing depicts most/all of God’s creations such as:

Humans (mammals)
Insects
Nature

The human is monochrome because unlike the surrounding plants and insects, humans have lost their purity. The colours surrounding the human and the flowers leaving the human’s eyes and mouth, represent the difference between human life and the virtuousness of everything else.

Amy – age 13 – ‘The Spirit of Everything’

My Spirited Arts work is about the question ‘ do animals have souls?’ ‘All God’s Creatures’.

I tried to show this idea by having an animal with a soul surrounded with life and colour.. As humans I don’t think we always consider that animals have feelings like us. So I created this painting to show that they do. The rabbit was my animal of choice because it has a sort of innocence to it and the colours surrounding it are not to distract but to look like the animal is bursting with life. The soul is shown by the blue glowing heart shape in the centre of the rabbit.

The arms are of Gods and humans; praising the wonderful creature and showing care to it.

I chose this theme because I myself am a pescatarian and care about the well being of animals.

Hannah – Age 13 – ‘The Creation of Animals’

I have chosen the theme All God’s Creatures because it shows how God created all the animals. It is spiritual because the flower represents God.  The animals exploding from the flower represent the animals God created and that they all have a place in the world. The picture shows we should not mistreat the animals God has given us. They all have their own life and purpose.

Lily – Age 12 – ‘ Hand of God’ 

My reasoning behind my painting is how God created everything … from the luscious grass that greets us when we step outside to the soft song of a bird in the early morning.

Throughout this piece of artwork, I visioned a human leading the other beings on; somewhat the head of the group. Once I got half-way, I realised that we are nothing without the animals that roam on our earth. Awakening to a dead world, one that lacks life, one that lacks nature, one that lacks joy, would be nothing. Humans may be most common, but they are most definitely not the most important.

When people first view my painting, I hope people will notice the variety of the creatures- the diversity of our world. No matter what animal, they are all part of the world, all significant to our existence. A quote from the Bible that fits the meaning of my work is ‘For the fate of the sons of men and fate of beasts is the same; as one dies, so does the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; all is for vanity.’

My main ideas on the creation of this painting was to see that God was the creator of all, and that we were but a part of the design. Yet, on numerous scales, we believe we are more momentous than those others that wander the world.

Matilda – ‘The Forest of Sikhism’

Sikhism teaches that all human beings are equal and must love and protect all God’s creations including plants, wildlife and animals. According to the 5 Ks, Sikhs will not even cut their hair because God’s creations are so precious. Let’s celebrate our natural world.

Noah Grayson – ‘In Our Hands’

Are we looking after our animals? We hold their future in our hands. NO MORE NATURE, NO MORE FUTURE!

Olivia – Age 14 – ‘The Beauty of Birds’

I think birds are amazing creatures that have been created by God. They are beautiful, majestic, and graceful creatures that can fly high in the sky. Birds are found all over the world and come in many different shapes and sizes and colours. They are an important part of the ecosystem and play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature.

God’s creatures are also used as symbols in many religious text. In the Bible, animals are often used as symbols of God’s power and grace. For example, the lion is used as a symbol of strength and courage, while the lamb is used as a symbol of gentleness and innocence. Birds are also used as symbols of Gods grace and protection. In the Bible, the dove is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, while the eagle is used as a symbol of God’s protection.

One of the most famous passages about birds in the Bible comes from Matthew 6:26 Where Jesus says “Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” this passage reminds us that God provides for all of his creatures, including the birds. Despite their small size and seemingly insignificant role in the world God cares for them and ensures that they have what they need to survive.

In conclusion, the Bible has much to say about birds, and we can learn a valuable lesson from these creatures. They remind us of God’s provision and care, and purpose in the world.

Day Five…

Birds and flying animals and all the creatures in the sea were created.

Samrah, Safia, Meenal – Aged 11-12 – ‘Compassion for Animals’

All world religions call for compassion towards animals and we should live in peace with them.

Simrah – Age 12 – ‘The Beauty of God’s Creation’

My artwork has a section which symbolises the famous story of Noah’s Ark. Christians, Muslims and Jews understand that God set down Noah as a blessing to rescue the animals of His creation before he sent down a storm to punish the disbelievers. The Bible says that God told Noah to take two of each kind of animal on his boat.

Another example of my theme is animal testing which is shown in one of the sections of my canvas. Animal testing is when live animals are forced to undergo an experiment which is most likely to cause them distress, pain and suffering. This topic can be argued for and against. In my opinion I feel that animal testing is shocking and that humans should not use them to test for medicines or makeup products. It causes them harm and it is unacceptable for us to do such things to God’s creation. It makes me feel sad that people use makeup products without having guilt that they are firstly tested on animals to make sure they are safe for them.

Finally, the last example of my theme is the slaughtering of animals. This is the process of killing animals for food or other purposes such as clothing. This matter can also be argued for and against. Some people render the animal unconscious and claim it doesn’t feel the pain whereas some people don’t even bother, and the animal suffers. The reason why vegetarians and vegans don’t eat meat is because they feel bad that an animal is being killed for something that they feel is neither necessary nor just.

In my opinion God’s creatures (human and non-human animals) are all beautiful and we should respect their feelings and opinions.

Aron and Tanya – Year 7 – ‘We Must be Kind with Animals’

This drawing is about the importance of animals to people and how they must be treated. God created all the animals just as God created humans and as they are all his creation they should be treated equally.

Elvina -age 12 ‘The Animals Know Jesus

In my picture, I show Jesus and a few woodland creatures sitting on a hilltop watching over some fields, in front of a setting sun. Incorporated in my work are three main aspects for interpretation. These are the colours used, the blooming flowers behind Jesus, and the shy woodland creatures approaching their creator, Jesus.

The colours: Most of the colours used are bright, vibrant and cheery. I used these colours to represent how Jesus can bring joy and cheer everywhere he goes. Like the colours, Jesus brought joy everywhere he travelled, through his teachings, preaching’s and stories.

The flowers: I placed the flowers directly behind Jesus to symbolise how he is the life and has the power of life and death at his fingertips.

The animals: The animals also resemble how he is the source of all life. The animals can sense how powerful and compassionate holy Jesus is, which is why usually shy creatures are approaching Him with ease.

Malina – age 13 – ‘Losing God’s Creatures’

My artwork symbolises the tragedy and loss of life happening to the earth in the form of a keychain. Five of the key chains are the Amur leopard, Sunder Island tiger, Black Rhino, Yangtze finless porpoise and the African Forest Elephant. These are all on the WWF’s top endangered animals list – animals which will become extinct, as the tags show, if change doesn’t happen.

The four pictures show a coral reef, the Arctic, the Amazon, and the Aral Sea. None of these are predicted to make it past 2100-and are gone, now just souvenirs on key chains.

Lastly, I have made some sort of file, belonging to humans. The predicted extinction date is crossed out again and again, ever counting down in red pen to symbolise the suddenness of our downfall. On the inside of the ring, quotes from climate change protests are written to look rushed and urgent to show we’re running out of time.

In conclusion, this ring of key chains represents the rapid fall of life on earth and documents just some of the things which will no longer exist, including humankind. The circle symbolises everything is connected.

Many years ago, elephants lived in Africa freely and happily. People may have lived in huts, but this created little pollution.  However, now we have huge skyscrapers producing loads of smoke and waste.

I chose elephants because they have good memories unlike goldfish. Elephants live in Africa, where they source food without creating waste. Since elephants have good memories, I drew them in an unrecognisable world.  The elephants resemble the trees and nature but all they see is the fumes coming from modern day living. I did this to inspire people to think about how the way we live not only makes animals lives worse, but also makes the earth worse for all of us.

Several pictures make up my entry:

In the top right, a person enjoying a clean earth among God’s beautiful creatures, which we should treat with the same respect we treat each other, because animals and nature are God’s gift to humanity, one that he has entrusted us with.  We should take care of the environment and make sure that it does not die at our hands because of our wrongdoing.

Below this I have drawn two animals portraying the thousands which are endangered or at high risk of becoming endangered.  There are lots of reasons for this, the majority of which are caused by humans.  Animals are suffering illegal hunting and poaching, we pollute and litter their environments, we also cause habitat loss mainly due to deforestation for the purpose of animal agriculture and property construction.  Humans are also responsible for global warming which is destroying the animals’ surroundings and putting them at risk. 

In the bottom left, I have illustrated a small group (because even a small change can make an impact) volunteering to clean local parks, planting gardens and maintaining natural reserves.  This is crucial as we all need to contribute to saving animals, the wilderness and everything precious on this planet.

Nikki-Rose – age 13 – ‘God is in His Creation’

For my artwork, I painted a large tree surrounded by different animals.  I believe God is hidden in his own creation.  The Lord is in our hearts, in the animals, in nature, in the sky and all around us.   To represent what I wanted to get across, the tree I drew has a tall, majestic door that reveals a shining light when opened.   God is presented as a shining light to emphasise his importance.  We are constantly surrounded by God and his creation is where God is.

Woodville Infant School – Year 1 – power point  ‘The Story of Creation’

We were thinking about the story of the Creation, from the Bible. God created the whole wide world and all of the animals in the world.
We had an animal template and we had to find nature. We used an iPad to photograph God’s creations.

God created flowers. (Annabelle)
God created sea creatures. (Evie)
God created giraffes and birds. (Karson)
God made the grass and the trees. (Sienna)

Genesis 1:21
So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.