By Page H. Gifford
Correspondent
Fluvanna County High School (FCHS) student Adora Gamage has had significant wins this year and last in both the FCHS art show and Fluvanna Art Association judged shows. Not only is Gamage’s talent evident, but her consistency and commitment to her work shines through as well.
Gamage’s slightly off-beat watercolor won her first in the watercolor category and best in show. She also won second in watercolor. Her technique in watercolor shows her strength.
Her fellow students also showed good attention to detail and execution in all forms, from 3D to painting and photography. Bri Parker shows enormous potential for her work, placing first for her Medusa and snakes drawing in mixed media 2D. Her drawing of a muscle bound male head turned skyward while reaching out to the onlooker was dramatic and garnered her an honorable mention in charcoal and conte crayon.
Abby Fuller is another student to keep an eye on. She won first place in watercolor resist and took second in the charcoal and conte crayon category for her humorous wide-eyed startled gentleman. She has a feel for bright colors and there is a wonderful looseness and flow in her work.
The pastel category showed a lot of student talent, but Jadyn Cook was the most original in his technique. He drew a dog on black paper with one half fading into the black paper and the other half in bright pastel, to great effect.
Leah Estes took first and second in oil painting and Brianna Parker took two honorable mentions for her work in the same category. Estes’ first place winner told a story about a woman in a pensive mood and featured abstract elements.
Hunter Muddiman’s colored pencil drawing of candy wrappers was vibrant and well executed. Young and adult artists alike can struggle with laying down color correctly in colored pencil, but Muddiman shows an understanding of his medium. Tyler Christian, who came in second, also deserves a mention for his rich, colorful work.
Miles Turner’s first place mixed media was striking with a myriad of colors, shapes and designs. Megan O’Dell nailed her ink wash technique with her dog. The lighting and angle of Amber Houseknecht’s photo of a light bulb won her first place in photography still life. Zikayla Palmer’s photo of a woman with flowers superimposed all over her body was a stunning first place win in digital media.
After her second year on the job, Michelle Coleman is proud of the accomplishments of her art students and continues to strive to bring their originality and imagination out in the open in a variety of ways and mediums. She continues to encourage them to explore, to look beyond the obvious, to discover new and innovative ways to use their mediums, and to see things differently.
