It would not come as a surprise to anyone who has viewed my artwork that I have an affinity for subjects from the natural world. I love to portray both plants and animals in my drawings and pastel work. As a believer in God, I also believe that we humans have an obligation to preserve his creation and yet we seem to be failing miserably in our stewardship. It saddens me to think of the many species that are going extinct at an alarming rate. How much beauty and what integral parts of our ecosystem have we lost in the span of my lifetime alone? How much more will we…