About “Fooling with Mother Nature”


The Fooling With Mother Nature program is based on twelve pastel images that show man-made objects doing damage to, or creating mischief with, the environment.  You can see them on The Artwork tab where you can also download a zip file containing all of the images.

The program is highly flexible. You can choose to do it in one day in a 1-2 hour session, or spread it out over several weeks by showing 3-4 images each week.  You can decide whether to use some or all of the images.



Step 1) DISCUSSION - The class will discuss the artwork together, using the questions below as a guide.
In addition, each painting has two unique questions you will see when you click on an image.

Environmental Science

  • How is the artist showing us man’s relationship with the environment?
  • Why should we be concerned about human impact on the environment?
  • How can each of us improve the environment?
  • Why use humor to discuss an environmental challenge?


  • Where on the page is the central object?
  • Where is the horizon line?
  • Which images make the best use of complementary colors?
  • How does backlighting affect the composition?

Step 2) WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT - Each student will choose one image to examine more closely and write about.

The paragraph should include the following:

Why was the image effective?
What did you learn?
How might your actions change as a result?

Step 3) ARTWORK - Each students will make an environmental drawing or painting inspired by the environmental topic of his/her choice.

Special Thanks To
Cambridge Arts
Teacher and Student Comments
I am a fellow artist who has known Barbara and been witness to her considerable talent for many years. I have always admired her ability to present a sophisticated and frequently humorous environmental message with wit and skill. By generously making these beautiful environmental paintings available to school children, she hopes to inspire young activists to preserve and protect “Mother Earth.
Suzanne LingemanArtist / Board Member. Nantucket Artist Association
"Oh, no! This will probably be boring." "Wait. These are interesting!" "That was cool!" "I want to buy one of those paintings!"
Henry5th Grade Student
What was useful:  Seeing a new type of art.  Exposing the students to it.  I think my students have a good understanding, but seeing it this way, they expanded their thinking and had great questions and observations! What were project’s strengths:  The pictures!!  I loved it!!  Barbara you were great!! Would you come to my new school next year?
Pamela McK.5/6th Grade Teacher, Harrington School, Cambridge
Your wonderful artistry fit the kids’ sense of art and wit, as well as our study of the environment and ecology.  Ecology and environmental studies are part of the Cambridge School Department’s science curriculum, so it was a thrill to see a novel application of some of the concepts we were studying displayed through fine art.  I’d like to request a repeat performance.
Tony C.6th Grade Teacher, Graham and Parks Alternative Public School in Cambridge
Your art tells a message hidden inside each painting.  I like that you use paintings to teach a lesson.  The paintings are thoughtful and important.
Sarah4th Grade Student
You wanted to show things that happen to the environment when people just get unruly and do whatever they want.
Jemmima4th Grade Student
As a new generation, things are happening that are new to the last generation so it’s our job as kids to make the world a great place.
Sachi5th Grade Student
Dear Barbara Ross,  Your drawings have lots of meaning . . we need to enjoy nature more or just that we are destroying nature itself. . . that we focus too much on technology.  I really liked how you made the class feel that we need to enjoy nature by just your drawings.  I think you should do these to lots of other schools.
Jeremy5th Grade Student
What I liked about this program is the creativity.  When we got to draw our own artwork I was able to follow the same theme but draw something inspired by her work but yet different to express my own idea.
Brooke4th Grade Student
Everything from the little fire hydrant to the ginormous shadows were beautiful. All the drawings deliver a very powerful message and have the most amazing way of delivering them.
Nandini5th Grade Student
I really enjoyed the names because they were clever and capable of tricking people.  For instance, in the picture FIELD MOUSE, I was expecting an actual field mouse, as in the animal.  But instead , what I saw was a desktop and a computer mouse.  This is really clever because you can see how computer mice are just as much (a) pest as real mice.
Pravnani5th Grade Student