Combining two of his favourite things has won a young Salmon Arm student first place in an art competition.
Grade 6 student Evan Smith took top spot in the age nine to 12 category of a National Forest Week contest held by the Association of BC Forest Professionals and the Truck Loggers Association.
More than 600 children put on their artist hats and created pictures that demonstrated what the forest means to them.
“Entries included paintings, oil pastels, crayons, pencil crayons and paper piecing,” says Amanda Brittain, director of communications for the Association of BC Forest Professionals. “Nine children (three in each of three age groups) emerged as winners.”
Evan says he heard about the contest, the first one he has entered, through his teacher at Shuswap Middle School. He says the idea for his design originated with his father Aaron’s suggestion of a leaf motif and developed further with a photo he saw on the Internet.
“I just love nature and drawing goes really well together with that,” says the articulate 11-year-old, who also likes being outside and playing sports. “I love drawing, that’s one of my top favourite things to do.”
And will he be entering more contests in the future?
“Oh yes,” says the young artist who won a $50 gift certificate to Chapters and whose artwork will appear in two forestry magazines and online.
“We are thrilled each year to see the fantastic pictures the kids create,” says Sharon Glover, CEO of the The Association of BC Forest Professionals. “It is enlightening to see the forest through a child’s eyes.”