Loudoun :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
High schooler leaves a mark in art contest Saturday
Posted by:
Loudoun County News
()
Date: October 09, 2011 06:49AM
High schooler leaves a mark in art contest
Saturday, Oct. 8 by Andy Hawk, Special to the Times-Mirror
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/high_schooler_leaves_a_mark_in_art_contest123/
Loudoun County High School art student Nadia Blanchard painted thousands upon thousands of dots onto a canvas and labored over color selection and creation in a stab at something new, figuring the 2010 Jo-Ann Fabrics-sponsored Fine Arts Contest would be a good place to submit her first acrylic painting.
The contest offered a palette of styles and mediums from the nation’s top student artists, so Blanchard’s adventurous trek into a less-familiar area for a big-time art competition might sound surprising. But the senior’s unassuming nature belies a sharp awareness and an inner drive to bring to life her visions exactly as she sees them in her head.
She definitely succeeded with her untitled piece – placing third out of more than 60,000 competitors, which earned her a check for $1,000 and $100 in art supplies.
“I did [the painting] specifically for the contest,” Blanchard said. “It was my first acrylic piece, but I figured, why not, let’s try this.”
The theme of the contest was “Scenes of Nature,” and what began with a single dot of paint came together many thousands of dots later as a woodsy fall scene, featuring a striking color scheme that blends the brilliance of a New England October with the subtle shadows of early evening.
“There were dots under dots,” she said.
The old building in the painting sports a hodge podge of colors that depict an aging structure, but they also harbor a warmth and comfort.
Though Blanchard said she works pretty quickly as a rule, this painting did not follow that pattern.
She created many of the painting’s hues herself by mixing colors, at times a laborious task.
“The picture speaks as it goes – some can go quickly and some you have to set up slowly - and she agonized over how it would set up and what the colors would be,” said Gary Rudinsky, Blanchard’s Art IV teacher.
At this point, Blanchard has quite a body of work behind her.
“You should see her portfolio,” Rudinsky said enthusiastically.
Last year, Blanchard won two prestigious Gold Key awards in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Program only 14 art students in the county won them – four were from LCHS - for a drawing titled “Laughter”, and a painting called “What You Could Attempt if You Knew You Could not Fail”.
Next up for Blanchard is a watercolor and ink piece that will be entered in The Florence Kiley Fellowship, which takes place during the Waterford Homes Tour & Craft Exhibit Oct. 7-9. The winner receives a $2,500 fine arts fellowship.
LCHS will have multiple contestants, including seniors Allie Richardson and Emily Campbell.
“We’re heavy with talent,” Rudinsky said of the art program.
Blanchard plans to continue her art studies in college, although she’ll do that in conjunction with at least one other major – psychology and/or communications.
Blanchard’s work of art consisted of thousands of dots laid on each other to create depth. Photo Courtesy/Nadia Blanchard
Attachments:
Saturday, Oct. 8 by Andy Hawk, Special to the Times-Mirror
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/high_schooler_leaves_a_mark_in_art_contest123/
Loudoun County High School art student Nadia Blanchard painted thousands upon thousands of dots onto a canvas and labored over color selection and creation in a stab at something new, figuring the 2010 Jo-Ann Fabrics-sponsored Fine Arts Contest would be a good place to submit her first acrylic painting.
The contest offered a palette of styles and mediums from the nation’s top student artists, so Blanchard’s adventurous trek into a less-familiar area for a big-time art competition might sound surprising. But the senior’s unassuming nature belies a sharp awareness and an inner drive to bring to life her visions exactly as she sees them in her head.
She definitely succeeded with her untitled piece – placing third out of more than 60,000 competitors, which earned her a check for $1,000 and $100 in art supplies.
“I did [the painting] specifically for the contest,” Blanchard said. “It was my first acrylic piece, but I figured, why not, let’s try this.”
The theme of the contest was “Scenes of Nature,” and what began with a single dot of paint came together many thousands of dots later as a woodsy fall scene, featuring a striking color scheme that blends the brilliance of a New England October with the subtle shadows of early evening.
“There were dots under dots,” she said.
The old building in the painting sports a hodge podge of colors that depict an aging structure, but they also harbor a warmth and comfort.
Though Blanchard said she works pretty quickly as a rule, this painting did not follow that pattern.
She created many of the painting’s hues herself by mixing colors, at times a laborious task.
“The picture speaks as it goes – some can go quickly and some you have to set up slowly - and she agonized over how it would set up and what the colors would be,” said Gary Rudinsky, Blanchard’s Art IV teacher.
At this point, Blanchard has quite a body of work behind her.
“You should see her portfolio,” Rudinsky said enthusiastically.
Last year, Blanchard won two prestigious Gold Key awards in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Program only 14 art students in the county won them – four were from LCHS - for a drawing titled “Laughter”, and a painting called “What You Could Attempt if You Knew You Could not Fail”.
Next up for Blanchard is a watercolor and ink piece that will be entered in The Florence Kiley Fellowship, which takes place during the Waterford Homes Tour & Craft Exhibit Oct. 7-9. The winner receives a $2,500 fine arts fellowship.
LCHS will have multiple contestants, including seniors Allie Richardson and Emily Campbell.
“We’re heavy with talent,” Rudinsky said of the art program.
Blanchard plans to continue her art studies in college, although she’ll do that in conjunction with at least one other major – psychology and/or communications.
Blanchard’s work of art consisted of thousands of dots laid on each other to create depth. Photo Courtesy/Nadia Blanchard
Attachments: