Young Artists Are Recognized as National Winners of Creative Self-Expression Art Show
We are pleased to announce the three national winners of our Creative Self-Expression (CSE) Art Show! Two high school winners and one middle school winner will be recognized nationally and locally for their placement in the national competition.
The two high school winners will travel to Santa Monica, California at the end of June to be recognized as the national winners in the CSE Art Show. In addition to the trip, a $2,000 scholarship will be presented to each high school winner by actress and accomplished artist Jane Seymour, spokeswoman for CSE, during a luncheon and awards presentation in Santa Monica, California.
The middle school winner will receive a $500 scholarship, an awards plaque and free custom framing of the winning entry.
The national competition, which we sponsor annually, is designed to cultivate and promote the arts and creative thought among young student artists.
The student artists submitted entries to their local The Great Frame Up where the art was judged by a panel of local art professionals and displayed for the local community. The work of each finalist was then sent to the national corporate office, where a panel of judges, including Seymour, selected the two national high school winners and one national middle school winner.
Ziyan (Lisa) Tan - Peachtree City, Georgia
Basket of Life, Oil on Canvas
Ziyan (Lisa) is currently a Junior at Starr's Mill High School in Fayetteville, Georgia. She has always loved art, but began pursuing it formally about 18 months ago.
She said, "Basket of Life is based on the importance of bread - from its symbolism in the Bible through its role in historical events such as the French Revolution."
After high school, Ziyan (Lisa) hopes to attend Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and study storyboard design and sequential art with hopes of becoming a movie director.
Jessica Traugott - Charlotte, North Carolina
Unexpected, Colored Pencil
Jessica is a recent graduate of Hopewell High School in Huntersville, North Carolina. She has been drawing "since she could hold a pencil," but began pursuing art more seriously in middle school.
"This piece, Unexpected, was inspired by the topic of decay, primarily in the form of rust," says Jessica. "I wanted to explore the contrast between organic life and industrial erosion. There are many brilliant and beautiful colors that can be found in rusted objects and I wanted to concentrate on these colors."
In the spring, Jessica plans to attend The Art Center College of Design to study entertainment design and is considering a minor in illustration. She hopes to pursue a career in concept art for movies and video games, while selling personal works as well.
Teagan Wells - Sherman Oaks, California
Flight of Fancy, Pencil
Teagan is a 7th grader at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California. Teagan has been interested in art from a very early age. "Drawing to me is a release and a place where I can let me imagination fly," she says.
"The name of competition inspired my work," says Teagan. "Creative Self-Expression - I wanted to make a drawing that expressed what I am and what I love."
Eventually Teagan would like to go to college to study art design. "I would like to make my living storyboarding for movies or drawing comic books."
To learn more about the Creative Self-Expression Art Show, please visit the CSE website.
