Teens from West Hall High School are using art to say thanks to U.S. troops overseas.
About 35 students created colorful, abstract pieces this week that are destined for the hands of servicemen and women deployed to Afghanistan.
"My brother is deployed, and he wrote me about how he didn't have anything interesting to look at in his windowless room," Alyssa Savas said. "I thought maybe there were a lot of people out there who could use artwork."
Savas is a student teacher in Nina Steigele's art class at West Hall, and her brother works for the Army Corps. of Engineers at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Afghanistan.
Savas said she wanted to show the students they could use their talents to support American soldiers.
"We wanted to brighten their day," Savas said."Most of the colors there are camouflage or beige. It's a high plains desert, and there's not a lot of water sources."
The students have spent the week designing art and handwritten notes to send to the rest of the troops at Solerno.
Ninth-grader Tito Chavez said when he heard the rooms the soldiers were housed in were plain, he knew he wanted to design something bright.
"I used sky blue, purple and orange pastels; very bright colors," he said.
His classmate, Fidel Rodriguez, said he hopes his art can help the troops forget the stresses of combat for a while.
His painting also included a thank you note.
"I said ‘Thank you for what you're doing for us,' and I'm happy to inform them that I might join them soon," he said. "I'm thinking about serving my country after high school."
Another note from ninth-grader Alexis Majerus read "I made this artwork for you because it reminds me of ocean waves. I'm sure you miss seeing the water."
Savas said it was a good time to fashion new art pieces for the base, as personnel have recently taken down Christmas art and decorations.
"We thought it would be great to replace it with something else," she said.
The students also got a bigger picture of what's going on in the Middle East. Savas infused the lesson with related articles and videos, including a film about a person devoted to painting portraits of the troops.
"I told them this is our way to have a connection to this far and distant place," she said.
Savas said she has plans for another art project for servicemen and women in the near future.
Her teacher mentor, Steigele, said the students were very engaged in the project and their creations show a sense of pride for military personnel.
"It was a great way for the students to give back by doing something they love," she said.