Children are truly the hope of the nation. Somehow, it’s just amazing how they come up with brilliant solutions to some of the world’s most prevalent problems. Indeed, adults should never really underestimate the power of their imaginations and little hands. Meet Pavel Abramov, a young artist from Russia who’s been making the world a little better, especially for stray animals.
How, you might ask? He does this by painting wonderful portraits of other people’s pets. And contrary to what you would expect, he doesn’t accept any money for payments. Instead, he exchanges his lovely artworks for animal food and supplies which we would donate to local shelters. This nine-year-old boy hails from the small city of Arzamas in Nizhny Novgorod. But his works have certainly resonated with the world. Pavel is proof that everyone can help even in their own little ways.
Pavel started this project, dubbed as “Kind Paintbrush,” with the help of his mother Ekaterina Bolshakova about a year ago. As a matter of fact, this amazing project was a result of a rather unfortunate event. The idea crossed Pavel’s mind when he lost one of his pets. Since then, he decided that he could no longer turn a blind eye to stray animals in the streets. And so, he started taking action by doing what he loves and does the best—painting animal portraits.
“Our family is proud of his wonderful project. His days are scheduled to minutes, he wants to do absolutely everything, there is just not enough time.”— Ekaterina Bolshakova, Pavel’s mother
His mother also helped him put up a page on the Russian social media site VK to showcase his works. Entitled as “What can a little volunteer do?” the page aims to communicate that everyone is capable of helping. Children and adults alike, as long as they’re willing to do their parts. The site also constantly reminds its members of their nonmonetary transaction policy.
So, to avail of Pavel’s priceless portraits, one must be willing to provide sacks of food, medicine, and other supplies. In most cases, Pavel paints based on the photos that pet owners give him. But he also gets the opportunity to meet and interact with them by the time he hands in his work.
The young artist creates mostly portraits of dogs and cats. Nonetheless, other animals as welcome as well, as long as the owner takes part in the charitable mission. To date, Pavel’s artworks have already reached the shores of other countries like Spain and Germany.
Currently, Pavel is the youngest volunteer at an animal shelter in Arzamas. It’s the only shelter in the city and houses over 100 dogs.
As such, what Pavel would normally ask his clients to provide, in exchange for his works, are sacks of buckwheat, pearl barley, canned dog food, treats, milk, toys, and medical supplies.
