What would the animal kingdom look like if everything rolled instead of ran? That’s the imaginative question Ms. Gilmer’s 8th grade art students explored through their latest plastercraft project: “What If Animals Were Round?”
Using plaster, paint, and a generous dose of creativity, students reimagined animals not with their usual sleek lines and sharp angles—but as round, soft-bodied beings with oversized features and playful personalities. The results are equal parts delightful and thought-provoking, a showcase of both artistic talent and outside-the-box thinking.
Each piece offers a glimpse into an alternate evolution—one where the laws of physics may have bent a little in the name of cuteness. Here are some highlights from the display:
1. The Original Spherical Cat -- Garfield 
This famously rotund feline looks equal parts fierce and fluffy. Black stripes curve along its bright orange body, and its tail adds to the attitude.
2. The Moo-nded Cow
Sporting spots and a big pink snout, this spherical cow is both charming and cartoonish. Tiny horns add just the right amount of character.
3. The Bubble Giraffe
Covered in pastel pinks, blues, and yellows, this giraffe’s long neck rises from a bouncy, balloon-like body. It’s a soft dreamscape of animal form.
4. The Piglet Puff
All pink and full of personality, this pig looks like it might actually roll away if nudged. Its snout and smile are perfectly round to match.
5. The Donkey Doughball
Complete with expressive ears and a friendly grin, this gray donkey feels ready to star in a children's storybook.
6. The Brooding Bull
With sweeping horns and a painted nose ring, this buffalo sculpture mixes toughness and cuteness in equal measure.
7. The Fuzzy Cow
A touch of faux fur tops this light brown cow, whose sweet snout and soft hooves round out a particularly lovable piece.
Through this project, students weren’t just building sculptures—they were stretching their creative thinking, learning to manipulate form, and bringing personality to every curve.
Check out all of the animals on display in the display case outside the middle school media center. Then ask yourself: what if your favorite animal were round?