Artwork from three El Campo High School students earned top ratings in the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo arts contest.
With one more round of judging still to come, the students’ art have a chance of being one of 70 pieces headed to the rodeo auction.
ECHS winners were: junior Valoria Gonzalez who took Best of Show with her Brahma; junior Sophia Corona whose cowboy drawing earned a gold medal; and freshman Itzel Gonzalez whose bluebonnet took gold.
The students in Megan McDonald’s advanced art class spent about three months working on their project and the beginners about six weeks.
“I am not a bit surprised that Valoria Gonzalez won best of show with her Brahma drawing. I told her it was going to be best of show before I went to judging! The colors, values, and crispness are beautifully done,” McDonald said.
Gonzales traces her artistic efforts back to the stick figures she drew as a very young child.
“I chose this cow because the moment I saw it I loved it. When I first saw it I thought of one word: temptation,” Gonzales said.
With the stiff competition at the rodeo, Gonzales said she was surprised she won and credited her family with motivation.
“There were many amazing artworks. I’m very proud of my cow because I improved. I feel like I’ve achieved that goal this year. Looking back I see where I’ve grown and improved. I want to continue to improve as an artist and person,” she said.
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“I saw a challenge and I wanted to step out of my comfort zone considering the picture had a lot of tiny details. The little duckling also caught my attention,” Corona said of her winning piece, adding, “I feel proud of myself because of all the hard work I put in was recognized.”
Corona said she likes to draw faces and animals, and that her artist ability strengthened starting in middle school.
“Art can be a mediator for me, and being able to have fun with it, and being able to show off what I can do is something I find exciting.”
Gonzalez bluebonnet captures the official state flower in a soft view standing out from the other foliage around it.
“I had a passion for art for as long as I can remember,” Gonzalez said, but added she started crafting pieces while in the fifth grade.
Animated characters are a favorite, but “I chose to draw a bluebonnet because of the beautiful colors and it reminds me of spring time riding down the highway with my family,” she said.
Gonzalez said she was excited to win the award and have her work on display at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
“I am so honored to represent not only my school but the City of El Campo. Thank you to my art teacher Mrs. McDonald for guiding me to become a better artist and person,” she said.
“El Campo has represented well for several years. On average we have received one best of show and two gold medals. I feel this is more or less the quota the judges award for a school our size, though more pieces can be selected as Special Merit,” McDonald said.
McDonald had been the ECHS art teacher for the last 12 years. Before coming to El Campo, she spent two years in Alief ISD, one as a second grade teacher and one as an elementary art instructor.
The Rodeo Art winners will remain on display on the first floor hallway of NRG center in the Hayloft Gallery.
In all, 15 ECHS entries and seven pieces of art from El Campo Middle School made their way to the NRG Center on Jan. 12 for judging.
ECMS seventh grader Vivian Daniel won Best of Show with her picture of a truck and eighth grader Stephanie Rosales won gold with her western theme skull. The middle school art teacher is Pamela Clapp.
“I’m very happy that middle school participated this year. I want to give a big shout out to Pamela Clapp for being a trooper and working through all the rules and regulations we have to follow for this contest! She and her kids did great,” McDonald said.
Considering herself an artist since the age of seven, Daniel said she started drawing and painting while in the third grade.
“My favorite subject is making people that aren’t real because then I have room to be creative with them,” she said.
Daniels added, “I chose this photo because I was really wanting to paint one day but didn’t know what to do. I asked my mom and she showed me a recent picture of when we went to her old family farm … This watercolor turned out to be a very happy accident.”
“I chose this photo because it gave me more of the Western vibe and I liked how it looked. I didn’t want to copy it so I changed it a little,” Rosales said.
Starting at six years old with drawing, Rosales said her art now includes painting as well.
“My goal was to at least do a great job with the drawing. The artwork did achieve my goal and it even did more,” she said, added the win was unexpected.
“Mostly I was just shocked,” Rosales said.
Other ECHS finalists were: juniors Ruben Castillo, Arianna Rodriguez,Diego Rojas, Madison McLain, Cadence Sanchez, Edith Del Agua, Anastasia Garcia-Gaona, Edwin Cazarin and Aidan Garcia; sophomores Gloria Ontiveros Lopez and Lissette Olvera; and freshman Delaney Kocian.
