Claire Brooks has proven she is an outstanding artist and her best work paid off. She won a first-place ribbon in her category and a Best of Show ribbon for her watercoloring of an elephant for the annual AAUW Art Show.
Brooks said her teacher asked her class to draw and paint an elephant and she wanted hers to be pretty. The elephant was painted in hues of blue and orange.
Warren County students in grades K-8 were invited to enter the competition. Students from Warren County Middle School, Centertown, Dibrell, Hickory Creek, Irving College, Morrison and West participated.
Among the overall winners of various age groups were Abigail Mathis, a Centertown eighth-grader, who created a pencil drawing of Geena Davis’ character, Dottie, in “A League of Her Own.” Mathis said she had recently watched the movie and decided she wanted to draw Dottie in her baseball outfit. Her drawing earned her a blue ribbon.
Sixth-grader Isabelle Hargrove painted a watercolor tempera of a red barn and a house earning her a blue ribbon and an overall win in her category.
Kimberley Ramirez, a second-grader, also earned a blue ribbon and an overall win in her category for her watercolor painting. “I love the Bible and I painted a picture of Mary, the mother of God,” said Ramirez.
These paintings and drawings as well as hundreds of others will be on display at Three Star Mall in the old Bookland location, across from Cato’s until Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11. The drawings can be viewed during mall hours.
Other first-place winners are:
• Kindergarten – Ashtlyn Smith, Lakelyn Fincher, Miranda Austin, Cora Bruce and Abby Pacheo
• First Grade – Amber Taylor, Lizzie Carpenter, Emilie Soto, Jackson Hodges and Callie Roberts
• Second Grade – Natalie Smith, Janet Perez, Mahalia Hobbs, Lilly Burrell and Andrea Pacheo
• Third Grade – Lauren Mansfield, Cara Finchum, Elijah Alexander, Hannah Vining, Alberta Hernandez and Beckham Scott
• Fourth Grade – Alyx Smith, Isaias Eusebio, Jacquelyn Frankman, Braxton Campbell, Sam Cathcart and Pedro Mendez
• Fifth Grade – Tyler Taylor, Rosa Crittenden, Makenna Felty, Brooke Evans and Jana Denning
• Sixth Grade – Breanna Chisam, Rebekah King, Matthew McCoy, Sabrina Longoria and Elijah Hernandez
• Seventh Grade – Haylee Hutchins, Jaylen Bouldin, Brocklyn Newby, Destiny Brown, Jaylen Bouldin and Tyra Wright
• Eighth Grade – Jonathan Rivera, Rachel Myers, Tristan Simons, Valeria Vera and Caleb Fults
• Non-Graded – Ethan Pocus and Jacob Shinkle