Art students at Thomas County Central High School continue to fare well at winter exhibitions.
Students earned 58 awards at the recent North Florida Fair Youth Art Show, including seven first places each in both the Fine Arts and Handicrafts divisions. The event is open to southwest Georgia and northern Florida K-12 students and professional artists.
"We've participated in this event for eight years," TCCHS art teacher Jocelyn Rivard said. "It's a good venue for our art students to see what our neighboring Florida students are creating."
Two students earned five awards each, seniors Markescia Reynolds and Rebecca Spruiell. Reynolds grabbed first places in Weaving with “Blue Dog” and in Mosaic with “Basketball Player.” She also took second place in Sculpture with “Piglet and Strawberry,” and third places in Acrylic (“Onions in a Bowl”) and Watercolor (“Macaw on a Branch”).
Regarding her “Blue Dog” woven sculpture, Reynolds said that she had to “fold the paper into strips and then weave them into holes” of the plastic dog-shaped armature she designed. She recalls that the idea came from just “playing around with some paper” while she explored themes.
“It always makes me feel really good to get all those ribbons,” admitted Reynolds. While she felt confident that the clay piglet project would place, she was “surprised about the others.”
Spruiell’s five ribbons demonstrate her mastery of disparate media. Her first places were in the categories of Acrylic (“Boy with Sailboats”), Sculpture (“Papier-maché Alligator”) and Jewelry (“Green Tribal Necklace”). She also picked up second place for Pottery (“Clay Pot with Three Faces”) and Mosaic (“Still Life with Dishes”).
Although surprised to win ribbons, Spruiell says that “my art has really improved” while the “details are getting much better.” For example, her “Boy with Sailboats” was the first time she had to “draw a real person” and learn to move beyond her comfort level of animé and cartoons.
At the event, senior Sophie Anderson and sophomore Kate Weaver earned four awards each.
Anderson earned first places in Watercolor and Mixed Media, and second places in Pencils and Pastels. Weavers’ wins were first and second places in Ceramics, third place in Pastels and fourth place in Papier-maché.
“My favorite piece is probably the ‘Teacup with Bees,’” Anderson remarked about the detailed colored pencil piece. An appreciative collector of vintage fashion, she said “the girl with rollers in her hair gives it a retro vibe.”
In her work “Two Girls Swimming” Anderson chose watercolor as it was a “good medium” with which to paint. She felt that all the “blue and green washes give the impression of water.”
Of her pieces honored, Weaver said her favorite was “Chocolate Still Life” because she had never tried oil pastel before and it “turned out really nice.”
As to winning four awards, Weaver says that she felt “proud of myself” and that it “felt good.”
Rivard said winning ribbons means something to every student who places, but any student who puts forth effort in their art should feel proud.
“Many of our art students work hard to be creative and technically skilled,” she explained. “It means a lot to every student who wins a ribbon, but I would say that any student who puts real effort into their work can get that sense of accomplishment.”
Beyond ribbons, creating art has proven to have intangible rewards as well. Spruiell finds drawing to be “calming, whenever I am upset.” Weaver said it “felt good” while Anderson said that it made her feel “proud.”
Perhaps Reynolds described it best as simply, “Art is life.”
North Florida Fair Youth Art Show, Tallahassee
FINE ARTS DIVISION #620
1st Place – Acrylic – Rebecca Spruiell
1st Place – Watercolor – Sophie Anderson
1st Place – Pencil/Pen/Ink – Brooke Hagan
1st Place – Sculpture – Rebecca Spruiell
1st Place – Mixed Media – Sophie Anderson
1st Place – Masks – Emily Hastings
1st Place – Collage/Batik/Prints – Camille Sowell
2nd Place – Pencil/Pen/Ink – Sophie Anderson
2nd Place – Pastels – Sophie Anderson
2nd Place – Sculpture – Markescia Reynolds
2nd Place – Pottery – Rebecca Spruiell
2nd Place – Mixed Media – Christopher Harry
2nd Place – Masks – Mikayla Jordan
2nd Place – Collage/Batik/Prints – Chandler Wilson
3rd Place – Acrylic – Markescia Reynolds
3rd Place – Watercolor – Markescia Reynolds
3rd Place – Pencil/Pen/Ink – Loren Osgatharp
3rd Place – Pastels – Kate Weaver
3rd Place – Sculpture – Jessi Hopland
3rd Place – Masks – Chandler Wilson
3rd Place – Collage/Batik/Prints – Maria Davis
4th Place – Watercolor – Zsantinique Arrington
4th Place – Pastels – Nikole Bienes
4th Place – Sculpture – Kiana Roman
4th Place – Pottery – Loren Osgatharp
4th Place – Masks – Kate Weaver
4th Place – Collage/Batik/Prints – Josey Smith
4th Place – Collage/Batik/Prints – Amy Dixon
5th Place – Acrylic – Christopher Harry
5th Place – Pencil/Pen/Ink – Shamya Baynard
5th Place – Pastels – James Baker
5th Place – Pottery – Maria Davis
Hon. Mention – Acrylic – Kiana Roman
Hon. Mention – Pencil/Pen/Ink – Hakeem Stevens
Hon. Mention – Pencil/Pen/Ink – Jennifer Ramos
Hon. Mention – Pastels – Hazel Trejo
Hon. Mention – Pastels – Loren Osgatharp
Hon. Mention – Pastels – Kyle Whitaker
Hon. Mention – Pottery – Brooke Hagan
Hon. Mention – Collage/Batik/Prints – Tayler Deas
HANDICRAFTS DIVISION #510
1st Place – Jewelry – Savannah Barrett
1st Place – Ceramics – Kate Weaver
1st Place – Jewelry – Jessi Hopland
1st Place – Jewelry – Rebecca Spruiell
1st Place – Ceramics – Chandler Wilson
1st Place – Mosaic – Markescia Reynolds
1st Place – Paper/Weaving – Markescia Reynolds
2nd Place – Ceramics – Kate Weaver
2nd Place – Jewelry – Ashley Simmons
2nd Place – Ceramics – Hope Michaels
2nd Place – Mosaic – Kirsten Blackburn
2nd Place – Paper/Weaving – Macie Wheeler
3rd Place – Ceramics – Savannah Barrett
3rd Place – Jewelry – Mikayla Jordan
3rd Place – Ceramics – Amy Dixon
3rd Place – Mosaic – Rebecca Spruiell
3rd Place – Paper/Weaving – Jessi Hopland
Hon. Mention – Ceramics – Ciara Ames