Thinking Out Loud Regional Art Competition
2023 Winners
First Place – Maddie Gill

First Place: “Sisterhood”
Maddie Gill, York School
Gerard Martin (Instructor)

Maddie Gill
Second Place -Wanzhi Li

Second Place: “Reverie”
Wanzhi Li, Youth Arts Collective
Marissa Serna (Program Director)

Wanzhi Li
“Reverie is an attempt at capturing the state of daydreaming—when one loses themself in their thoughts and their senses are blinded to the material world. I wanted to use layered hues and delicate imagery to portray the beauty and evanescence of those moments.”
Third Place – Iris Walker Lee

Third Place: “Shadows and Angles”
Iris Walker Lee, Youth Arts Collective
Marissa Serna (Program Director)

Iris Walker Lee
Honorable Mention – Isaac Barnett

Honorable Mention: Untitled
Isaac Barnett, Seaside High School
Mandee Scorpiniti (Instructor)

Isaac Barnett
“The piece acts as something of a look inside my mind, where many things happening, almost to a point where it can be challenging to follow or understand. The window can be seen as the eyes, as I, myself, look out to the world, seemingly oblivious to everything happening behind those eyes, but fully aware, in reality.”
Honorable Mention – Lauro Borquez

Honorable Mention: “Pearls”
Lauro Borquez, Monterey High School
Martha Tonkin (Instructor)

Lauro Borquez
Honorable Mention – Ines Larrauri Robinson Bours

Honorable Mention: “ABCs”
Ines Larrauri Robinson Bours, Santa Catalina School
Jaime Ball (Instructor)

Ines Larrauri Robinson Bours
“For this project, I got inspired by the Marine Ecology Research lab in Santa Catalina. Each of the letters presented in the collage is something related to marine life, which gives the piece a theme and purpose. For me, the world’s environmental issues have impacted me in many aspects. This is why I liked the idea of focusing on something natural that we love, but our ignorance is leading us to damage it; the ocean.”
Honorable Mention – Sascha Horn

Honorable Mention: “Aria”
Sascha Horn, Monterey High School
Martha Tonkin (Instructor)

Sascha Horn
“This piece was of my character Aria. It was the first fully colored painting of a person-like subject I have done. The character was made to have some chameleon-like features, color-changing skin, horns, and scales. Although, not all characteristics are exactly like one. I made this painting to practice anatomy and have fun painting water and scales. Mermaids and sea-like things inspired me, so this was to depict the magical feeling of it. Plus, I like things that glow!”
Follow Sascha on Instagram
Honorable Mention – Lorenza Marquard

Honorable Mention: “Stag”
Lorenza Marquard, Santa Catalina School
Jaime Ball (Instructor)

Lorenza Marquard
“My sculpture was inspired by the British artist, Barbara Franc. She creates animal sculptures using wire and found objects. For my piece, I used both wire and aluminum cans. It was important that the sculpture was more dynamic by using an active pose.”
Honorable Mentions – Savannah Totaan/Ky Dahle

Honorable Mention: “The Mask”
Savannah Totaan, Chartwell School
Nena Prakash (Instructor)
