National Library Week Art Contest

under mothers wing by Brenda Johnson

Winner - People's Choice Award

My Story by Sarah Jones

Winner - Best Painting

Artist's story: "This work is graphite and watercolor, two media I use frequently when painting portraits of others. As a portrait artist, I am rarely the subject of artwork, so for this year's theme, I decided to paint a self portrait with elements of my own story as the background."

Mother Nature by Brenda Johnson

Winner - Best in Show

Artist's story: "This sculpture is made with polymer clay, acrylic paint, needle felting, glass eyes, a terrarium, earth clay for the baby, and assembly of some false leaves."

Hell Piece (Red Lodge) by Josiah Blevins

Winner - Best Three-Dimensional Art & Folk Art

Hibiscus water by Brenda Johnson

Winner - Best Drawing

The last of a dying breed by Brenda Johnson

Winner - Best Photography & Graphic Design

Pollinator exterminator

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Artist's story: "A garden spider waits for flies bees or wasps to ambush."

Dream Logic

Josiah Blevins - Painting

Endless Stories

Luke Diaz - Photography & Graphic Design

Artist's story: ""A book always tells half the story" is something that my grandfather told me once in New York when I was only a kid. I didn't understand at first since I was never into reading books. I realized after a few years that it's up to my interpretation to tell the other half of the story. With that being said having my interpretation of stories, It could be endless. That is how I got the name and Idea for this art piece."

Enlightenment

Vicki Gadecki - Three-Dimensional Art & Folk Art

Artist's story: "Visit India one day. Ride an elephant around the Meenakshi Temple. Meditate surrounded by lotus petals inside a Bahai House of Worship. Experience enlightenment."

Fishing for dates

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Great egret regrets

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Hell Piece (Red Lodge)

Josiah Blevins - Three-Dimensional Art & Folk Art

Hibiscus water

Brenda Johnson - Drawing

Jimin of BTS

Makayla Martin - Drawing

The last of a dying breed

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Peach Alla Prima

Josiah Blevins - Painting

Colorful Betta Fish

Makayla Martin - Painting

Rabuka

Samantha (Leif) Kowitz - Painting

Artist's story: "This painting is inspired by a Japanese pop song called “Rabuka”. “Rabuka” in Japanese can translate to either “Love?” or “Frilled Shark”. The entire song revolves around this play on words that would not make sense in English, and so does the painting."

swan photography

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Artist's story: "displayed in a recycled cabinet door"

Tiger

Vicki Gadecki - Painting

Artist's story: "I am a Tiger. My Blood Runneth Orange."

tree crawler

Brenda Johnson - Painting

Artist's story: "This work is needle felted, sculpty, handmade resin eyes, and acrylic paint."

Waiting alone for you

Martin Morales - Photography & Graphic Design

Artist's story: "As I wait for you to arrive under this tree, I realize how empty my heart and soul is without your love. It kills me to never be able to hold you again in my arms."

Washing Bear Feet

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Waters Memory

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Artist's story: "this photo is created using many many photos of water splashing photoshopped together. after many hours behind a screen piecing together and color correcting, the elephant finally came to life."

wild wolf

Brenda Johnson - Painting

You Done Good

Josiah Blevins - Painting

one aeon

Brenda Johnson - Drawing

Shell-ter

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Artist's story: "A small crab uses a shell to hide from swarming seagulls on the beach."

Singles sand bar

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Spear fishing

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Nectar

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

My Story

Sarah Jones - Painting

Artist's story: "This work is graphite and watercolor, two media I use frequently when painting portraits of others. As a portrait artist, I am rarely the subject of artwork, so for this year's theme, I decided to paint a self portrait with elements of my own story as the background."

My Father's Teeth

Josiah Blevins - Painting

Mother Nature

Brenda Johnson - Three-Dimensional Art & Folk Art

Artist's story: "This sculpture is made with polymer clay, acrylic paint, needle felting, glass eyes, a terrarium, earth clay for the baby, and assembly of some false leaves."

Made Whole

Ashley Wojcik - Drawing

Artist's story: "This expresses the Bible story of how Jesus made the woman with the issue of blood whole. To illustrate this, the two of them are the only ones not made of lines since Jesus makes them (and us) whole."

Novalty of War

Martin Morales - Painting

Artist's story: "I give all to this Country I love"

under mothers wing

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Overwhelmed

Logan McKnight - Painting

Artist's story: "A lot of terrible things have been happening in my personal life recently, so I decided to begin inking and see where it took me."

A quiet countryside

Autumn Warner - Painting    

Artist's story: "A nice day in the countryside where the only thing that can be heard is the wind rustling the trees and the metal of the barn and the horn of a train on its daily route."

After the Storm

Mary Helen Hendrix - Painting

Alligators smile greater

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

arctic swim

Brenda Johnson - Painting   

Artist's story: "This painting glows in the dark, unfortunately I don’t know a good way to display the painting both light and dark."

Breakfast

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design

Bristle tongue

Brenda Johnson - Photography & Graphic Design    

Artist's story: "my cat tired of photos"

Brothers

Logan Williamson - Painting    

Artist's story: "The Galactic Republic falls to a coup from the inside, life-long friends Obi-wan Kenobi (left) and Anakin Skywalker (right) fight to the death on the fiery planet of Mustafar, and a child is born. One who may bring hope to the ruined galaxy.

All right for Star Wars belong to Disney"

Color and War

Amelia Brinkman - Painting

Artist's story: "The subject in my painting is a multicolored goddess, adorned with a white veil and cotten skirt tied around her waist. With her wings of white and gold she draws her arrow ready to aim and strike down her foe."