Thinking Out Loud Regional Art Competition
2023 Winners

First Place – Maddie Gill

First Place: “Sisterhood”
Maddie Gill, York School
Gerard Martin (Instructor)
Maddie Gill
“My inspiration for much of my work comes from the nostalgia associated with nearly every aspect of my childhood. I wanted to capture the richness of being a little kid through vivid colors and a somewhat whimsical style. In unearthing photos my mom took of my sister and me over a decade ago, I strive to capture the essence of each image in a meaningful and personal way.”

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
“For my piece, I knew that I wanted to do something involving the figure and shadows. I came across Christina Chua’s photography and was inspired to create!”

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
“Lauro has been in love with photography for a long time, and is currently creating a series of self-portraits for his AP Studio Art Portfolio and senior project for the AMP Arts Academy.  He loves to find ways to create portraits that are not only beautiful to look at, but also express the “inner essence” of the person being photographed.” -Martha Tonkin, Instructor

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!”

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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)
Honorable Mention: “Waiting”
Ky Dahle, Carmel High School
Steven Russell  (Instructor)