For anyone who has submitted their work to be critiqued by others knows, it takes both courage and confidence – something that Lucy has fully embraced as she has entered her artwork in a few different competitions. She typically enters her art into the Indiana State Fair, as well as the Riley Festival and most recently, the Franklin College Art Show. In the short time that Lucy has been producing 2D art, she has won many awards (see sidebar), but she is most proud of winning “Best in Show (Watercolor, Pastel, Mixed Media)” in the Youth Division at the Indiana State Fair. “It was only my second year entering and there are always some very good pieces in the competition, so I was really honored and blessed to win,” she said.
Although she certainly has the talent to pursue a future in art in college and beyond, Lucy said she prefers to keep art as a hobby. “Turning art into a career could create stress and potentially limit my ability to express myself authentically and for me, the freedom to create without any external pressures is what keeps it meaningful and enjoyable,” While she may still share her work or may even choose to sell it, she wants to maintain a personal, unencumbered connection to her art. Lucy shared some very insightful advice for fellow young aspiring artists… “Don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison is the killer of creativity, and if you are consistently comparing your art to others, you’ll never be satisfied with what you’ve created. Instead, embrace the process of learning, making mistakes, and experimenting, because that’s how you get better. Don’t be afraid to make bad art. It sounds counterintuitive but sometimes creating pieces that you think aren’t great teaches you more than trying to make perfect ones all the time.”
AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
INDIANA STATE FAIR Best in Show (Watercolor, Pastel, Mixed Media) Youth Division First Place (Watercolor, Pastel, Mixed Media) Y8: 10th-12th Grade Third Place (Oil & Acrylic) Y8: 10th-12th Grade and Honorable Mention (Oil & Acrylic) Y8: 10th-12th Grade
RILEY FESTIVAL First Place (Pastel) Junior Division Third Place (Oil & Acrylic) Junior Division Best of Show Junior Division First Place (Oil & Acrylic) Junior Division Third Place (Oil & Acrylic) Junior Division Psi Iota Xi - Upsilon Chapter’s Distinguished Art Award
FRANKLIN COLLEGE ART SHOW Honorable Mention in Drawing “Friends from Space”, 2024 Indiana State Fair: Best in Show (Watercolor, Pastel, Mixed Media) - Youth Division First Place (Watercolor, Pastel, Mixed Media) - Y8: 10th-12th Grade
Spring 2025 | Heritage Messenger
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