Vermont Wildlife Education Fund Student Art Competition Results
Criteria for judging
Entries were judged on a combination of composition and overall design; technical skill; creativity, uniqueness and originality; story and overall impression; and clarity related to the theme of Vermont wildlife and wildlife habitat.
“We’d like to congratulate all the students for a job well done. The future of wildlife art is in good hands in Vermont. I hope many people will get to see these wonderful pieces that our talented young artists have created. I wish we could have selected more. As an artist myself, who has been involved in many art competitions, I want to tell all the students who submitted to keep at it. Just keep creating and developing your own unique art.”
Winning Entries
All winning entries will receive award certificates and placement in exhibition. Artwork will be professionally prepared for hanging by the Highland Center for the Arts and will be part of promotional materials and press releases.
Instructions for winning entries can be found here.
1st Place - $1,000 prize
Shakeh Hagopian, Grade 9, Champlain Valley Union
The red eft played a huge role in my childhood. Its magnificent orange hue, its luminous transparent skin, and its large glassy eyes were and are a magical jewel in the forests of Vermont.
Title: "Jewel of the forest"
Medium: Oils Size: h 20 inches X w 24 inches
2nd Place - $750 prize
William Cunningham, Grade 7, Mater Christi School
I chose the Monarch butterfly in my piece because for me it represents the soul of Vermont. The butterfly is beautiful, just like Vermont, and its orange color depicts the stunning fall season. Butterflies are also a symbol of life, hope, and resilience. Every time I see a Monarch in Vermont I stop what I am doing to look closely at it. It's always a colorful treat when you come across a Monarch in your daily routine.
3rd Place - $500 prize
Aren Eisenman, Grade 10, Champlain Valley Union
While driving home from babysitting, I narrowly avoided hitting a small rabbit. I was surprised but not too worried about it. Later in that same drive another bunny leaped in front of the car and froze. I slowed down but it was too late and I heard a thud and felt a small impact. I brought the car to a stop, got out and checked for the bunny. I did not see it, but I am pretty sure it did not survive the incident. I made this drawing to honor and remember that innocent bunny.
4th Place- $250 prize
Molly Aeberhard, Grade 7, The Riverside School
We know so little of what we think we know about the natrel world that we have torn away from. The different sides of the picture for me represents two different perspectives, one in the dark and one in the light.
Title: “Secret Lives”
Honorable Mention, Top 10 - $100 prize
Milica (Militza) Ibranovic, Grade 9, Essex High School
I drew Luna Moth (Actias luna) because I was interested in her appearance. This insect represents the green color very gently. The light green color on the wings seems very fragile. I wanted to present the fragility of this creature in the harsh reality of today. Black and white abstraction represent the cruelty and unpredictability of the world, while green and yellow creation represents the struggle of a pure creature.
This creature is also called the American moon moth, which I find interesting because I am learning about the living world of another nation. I am from Europe and my family recently moved in the USA. It’s very interesting and exciting for me to learn not only about the culture of another country but also its and animal species, such as this.
Honorable Mention, Top 10 - $100 prize
Emilia Santiago, Grade 9, Thetford Academy
I decided to otters because I strongly connect to their personalities. In this image I did two river otters showing affection towards each other because I think this act is so sweet, I love otters and their smooth bodies, squishy face, so many whiskers, and they are just plain adorable. Otters also intrige me because they are an interesting species with how they live and act. Thank you for letting me participate in this art competition, this was really fun to push myself and test my art skills.
Honorable Mention, Top 10 - $100 prize
Veronica Lindstrom, Grade 10, Burlington High School
Spending my summers swimming in Vermont's lakes and rivers, I was always fascinated by the shiny shells that would cut up my feet. To me, these mussels look very unique and familiar, and so I decided to use them as my subject. I included eastern elliptio and zebra mussels, because these were the shells that I'd collect in handfuls as a kid. Growing up, I had no idea that zebra mussels were damaging to their ecosystems, and although zebra mussels are inarguably not native Vermont wildlife, even now it's impossible to separate them from the happy memories of when I was younger.
Honorable Mention, Top 10 - $100 prize
Zinnia Stanley, Grade 10, Burlington High School
I chose to paint (watercolor) a picture of a rusty patched bumble bee as when I imagine what Vermont has to offer, spring and summer wise, one of the things conjured are fields of wildflowers and bees. I also chose to do the rusty patched bumble bee instead of any other type of bee because I find their name amusing. (I used graphite, watercolor, and gouache)
Honorable Mention, Top 10 - $100 prize
Amber Boles, Grade 12, The Sharon Academy
I chose the red tailed hawk because I see them a lot and they just seem so powerful and beautiful. I thought that it would be a great thing to paint for this contest, and the red tailed hawk is my favorite bird.
Honorable Mention, Top 10 - $100 prize
Yasmin Farley, Grade 9, Burlington High School
The drawing is of a Monarch butterfly. I drew this looking at a picture I took of a monarch in someone’s garden. The flowers may not be Vermont wildlife, but the butterfly is. I chose this because of my fascination for Monarchs and Viceroys. Not too long ago, I found a Pinterest pin with several illustrations of butterflies with their names (and a Taylor Swift song from her album Lover correlating to the name/seemingly fit for the butterfly) and found it interesting how beside the label of Viceroy was in parentheses “false monarch” and the song that was given to it “False God”. When I looked up Viceroys I learned about a theory that they resemble monarchs because monarchs supposedly taste bad to birds- therefore the birds are less likely to eat them. I chose the monarch for many reasons, but mainly because the beauty of the monarch reminds me of how beautiful life is.
Below are the additional top 30 selections to be professionally displayed as part of the exhibition at the Highland Center for the Arts Gallery and in the Vermont State House
Connor Byam, Grade 9. Eastern Moose, drawing medium is pen and ink. I depicted an Eastern Moose because they are aesthetically pleasing subjects with interesting features. I have never seen a moose in person before, but I would love to do so sometime in the future.
Aren Eisenman, Grade 10.
Lucie Ruggiero, Grade 11. For my drawing, I chose the Northern Long-Eared Bat (also called the Northern Myotis). I chose this bat because it is native to Vermont, but I'm just inspired by bats in general. What I find so amazing about bats is they seem to defy categorization. They are the only flying mammal, and they share similarities to birds, but they also use echolocation, like dolphins. They look like rodents, but they aren't, and the closest animal with similar wings would probably be prehistoric flying reptiles, or dragons if mythical creatures count. It's sad to me that bats are viewed as "ugly", "bad", and "pests" because I think they are amazing creatures. Plus, most species of bats are insectivores, meaning they are helping keep mosquitoes (and other pesky bugs) at bay. I think bats are wonderful, and I hope more people learn about them and realize what amazing animals they are.
Eula Palmer, Grade 12. Great blue heron. I've always loved big birds and we get great blue herons on our lawn all the time and i’ve pretty much grown up seeing them around.
Emma Ruggiero, Grade 12. I chose the Eastern Newt as my subject because my family and I often see them in the woods at our house. I love their vibrant orange coloring as it reminds me of the beautiful autumn foliage of Vermont.
Myra Waqar, Grade 9. I picked this as my piece because it was something I was surprised to learn lived in Vermont. It interested me and also it’s very cute.
Ariana Mossey, Grade 12. I chose to draw the leopard frog for my piece because he is an under appreciated species. Vibrant and colorful, he is sure to grab the eye of anyone lucky enough to spot him! The leopard frog is the state frog and perhaps the most visually interesting of all Vermont wildlife.
Maeve Daloz, Grade 7.
Emma Maley, Grade 7. When I saw a black bear I was scared, but amazed. It was so big and majestic. I painted a black bear because just like Vermonters, it's scrappy, and survives well in the cold.
Alden Bond, Grade 8.
Lilly Barrows, Grade 8. I love the way owls fly, their wings are powerful in the wind. They look free and fierce. They are beautiful and have nice colors and their eyes are sharp and clear.
Evan Lagerstedt, Grade 10. My inspiration behind the acrylic rat was off of an observation of a rat that I have seen in some tall grass one time, I really like the way rats function and find their own ways to survive. Another reason why I choose this animal is because I have 2 rats of my own and they are one of my favorite animals.
Elizabeth Knaus, Grade 10.
Shterna Gordon, Grade 11. During my summer ecology internship part of my job was making observations on iNaturalist a species count type app. One of those observations was the Common East Bumblebee. the Bumblebee was referenced from my own photo. I choose the bumblebee because I have a fascination and respect for them. I love nature in general.
Leah Miller, Grade 8. I decided to choose a deer because they represent instinctual energy, independence, and regeneration, which stems from their antlers being shed and re-grown each year. At first, I wasn't going to do a collage, I was going to do a yin and yang type drawing. Then one of my classmates recommended doing a collage. I used pieces from "Vermont Sports", "National Geographic", and some other magazines.
Alden Bond, Grade 8.
Gianna Petrunich, Grade 9. I chose to paint these fish because I go fishing a lot with my Dad. I think a lot times people forget how colorful Vermont fish really are because they are not ocean fish. They are very mysterious in the water. I wanted to paint them in watercolor to show how vibrant and colorful they really are!!!
Hudson Cunningham, Grade 8. The reason I chose the Largemouth Bass is because it's my favorite predatory fish. The largemouth bass is cool because when sunfish threaten their eggs, they protect them, while getting a delicious snack.
Andre Whiteberg, Grade 9.
Ulysses Junker-Boyce, Grade 9.
Gianna Petrunich, Grade 9. I like to paint cardinals because of their color. I like how their color really pops against the snow in the winter time! Also, I like how they look a bit different in the brown trees in the spring!
Natalie Morris, Grade 11. I chose to paint deer for my submission because of all the times I see them in my neighborhood in the evening.
Eula Palmer, Grade 12. Honey bee. I think they’re really cool and I wanted to do something a little more creative with the piece.
Grace Cloutier, Grade 10. I choose to draw a coyote because they are such an amazing animal to Vermont. They are a very important component to keeping the Vermont ecosystem healthy. They often help with the prey balance making them a very significant animal in Vermont Wildlife.
Megan Solleder, Grade 11. I selected a red fox as my subject because they are very fascinating and captivating animals. They are also related to the dog family, which are one of my favorite animals. They also have a playful side to them and are adorable.
Shterna Gordon, Grade 11. This drawing features a Yellow romped warbler (Myrtle) the subspecies that lives in Vermont on a Striped maple another Vermont species. Thank you for considering my art.
Jasper Jones, Grade 10.
Lilly Barrows, Grade 8. I once saw a coyote pup on the right side of my driveway that had been hit by a car. I felt really bad, so this art piece is in honor of that pup.
Savannah LaFountain, Grade 11. I chose to do a deer as the subject of my painting because where I live we see quite a lot of them. As a matter of fact, I have had 19 of them run in front of my car in the year I have been able to drive (haven’t hit one yet, fingers crossed I don’t). Deer hunting was also very popular in my family growing up so they have always been a part of my childhood. They are beautiful animals and I feel that they represent Vermont very well. My painting was done on an 8 x 10 inch canvas with acrylics and an image is attached below.
Zoe Jenkins-Mui, Grade 9. I chose to depict the white lipped snail (cepaea hortensis) along with a plethora of Vermont native mushrooms. I included the Latin names of the larger mushrooms along with the snail. I chose it because I love snails.
About the Judges
Rob Mullen, SAA* Signature Member
Growing up in Vermont gave Rob a deep admiration for the wilderness, nature, and the water. In addition to his work as an artist, Rob is the Director of the Wilderness River Expedition Art Fellowship, a program for field art at The Center for Circumpolar Studies. For two decades Rob has led artist immersion expeditions from Labrador to Alaska, feeding his art with a focus on wildlife and conservation. He draws his original artistic inspiration from his time in college at the University of Vermont, where his Biology class lab sketches led to illustrating for professors. See Rob’s art at: https://www.paintnpaddlestudio.com
John Pitcher, SAA* Distinguished Member
Seasoned artist John Charles Pitcher expresses his passion for birds and the natural world through his sketches and paintings. His success in capturing the sense of a place and likeness of his subjects reveals not only his mastery of technique but also his passion and knowledge as a naturalist. As a Wilderness River Expedition Art Foundation artist crew member, Pitcher has canoed and painted the wilderness waters of the Missinaibi River, Ontario, the George River, Quebec and the migrating caribou herds of Lake Kamestastin in northern Labrador, Canada. See John’s art at: westinpitcherart.com
Adelaide Murphy Tyrol
A good part of my professional life has been spent as a botanical and natural history illustrator. With due respect to the importance of viewing nature with a scientifically accurate eye, I find the power of nature to lie beyond the caliper. Upon close inspection, the natural world reveals truths other than analytical ones. A random moment, fully recognized can embrace the spirit and lead us to a deeper understanding of life. For me, the source is contained in the natural world; the process of painting is an attempt to communicate with and understand its well-spring.
Tyrol is an accomplished fine artist whose paintings have been displayed in numerous shows, galleries and museums. Along with her gallery work, Adelaide is co-owner of Oliphant Studios – a scenic painting house in NYC which serves the photography and film industries. She is also a natural history illustrator. See Adelaid’s art at: http://adelaidetyrol.com
*Society of Animal Artists (SAA)