Arisia '09 Student Art Contest Finalists

Finalists are grouped by category. All entries were judged by Arisia Staff and attending artists. Overall there were a large number of absolutely great entries by very talented students. I wish we had room to display them all.

Traditional Media Category—Drawings: pencils, shaded & color pencils, charcoals

First Place [Also won regular Art Show Popular Choice award.]
#01	Artist: Jessica Tawczynski Grade 12, Bartlett Jr/Sr. High School Title: Self Portrait Medium: Chalk Pastel Inspiration or Source: I wanted to represent myself in some other way than just a traditional self-portrait. I wanted to put some meaning behind my portrait, including that there are two sides to everybody.

#02

Artist: Kylie Keating Durand
Grade 9, Narragansett High School, RI
Title: a fairies world
Medium: colored pencil
Inspiration or Source: Iv always loved fairys ever since i was little, i also love anime/manga and science fiction. When m y teacher told me about this contest i knew i had to enter it because it is a topic that i love. i also knew right away what i wanted to draw. it took weeks to come up with a good enough picture for the contest. finnally after weeks and weeks, 7 days before the due date i got it! this piture means alo to me even though i know its not one of my bests. please enjoy my work. :)


#03	Artist: Nicholas Gonthier Grade 10, John Stark Regional High School Title: Masterful Wizard Medium: Colored pencil Inspiration or Source:


#04	Artist: Ire Lim Grade 11, Miss Hall's School, Pittsfield, MA Title: "Class of 3009" Medium: color pencil, pen, marker Inspiration or Source: I imagined a classroom in the future, and they are in biology class because it's related to science.

#05

Artist: William Bancroft Betteridge
Grade 11, Great Barrington, MA
Title: Falling From Life
Medium: Colored pencils, ink pen, pencil
Inspiration or Source: I wanted to mix the old comic sci fi and modern art style to represent the past in the present and future. my inspiration came from life itself. the orb floating above the woman represents life. and in the process of her body falling still is pulled upward torwards life. the mother board style on her face represents the future of life itself and that life too shall end someday. no matter what.

Honorable Mention
#06	Artist: Jason Yu Grade 11, Brimmer and May School, Cambridge, MA Title: Government Coverup Medium: pencil Inspiration or Source: Was thinking about the movie Men in Black.


#07	Artist: Stephen Kenneth Dyer Grade 12, Pioneer Valley Regional School Title: Bond by Chains Medium: Pencil & Cray-Pas Drawing Inspiration or Source:


#08	Artist: Taylor Ayotte Grade 9, Narragansett High School Title: Dusk to Dawn Medium: 2b pencil Inspiration or Source:


#09	Artist: Rachel Beard Grade 10, Beverly High School Title: Future in Time Medium: Pencil Inspiration or Source: Over time the boy transforms to a vampiresque being.


#10	Artist: Dan Pantano Grade , Cardinal Spellmen School Title: The Beginning Medium: Drawing Inspiration or Source: The inspiration is of a cool vibe, I wanted to give a vibe out of that made something seem cool.

Traditional Media Category—Paintings: oils, pastels, acrylics, watercolors

Best in Class
#11	Artist: Melissa Gardiner Grade 11, John Stark Regional High School Title: Mythical Dragon Medium: Watercolor Inspiration or Source:

Honorable Mention
#12	Artist: Sarah Sargent Grade 10, Winnisquam Regional High School Title: Death to Cherries Medium: Water Color Inspiration or Source: I was inspired by a clothing tag i saw years ago, Rock Steady. It reminded me how young women are obsessed with cherries and how i feel that it is this obsession with cherries is quite petty and obsolete. Hence the name, Death to Cherries.

#13

Artist: Sarah Sargent
Grade 10, Winnisquam Regional High School
Title: Geshia, Keeper of the Fire Dragon
Medium: Acrylic
Inspiration or Source: The Japanese and Chinese culture and myths are one of my favorite artistic inspirations. Geshi's are presented to be beautiful women, pure of all sins. That’s why I adore them and dragons are supposed to be these big powerful, dangerous creatures and thats why I love dragons. To me it makes sense to co-bind them together make the Geshia innocent and sin free but powerful because she controls the dragon.


#14	Artist: Rebekah-Shireen Lefebvre Grade 12, Hopkins Academy Title: "The Mechanic Watches Her Husband Drive Off to War in His Single Man Steam Tank" Medium: Acrylics/Ink Inspiration or Source: Study of Anachronisms.


#15	Artist: Geena Matuson Grade 12, Medfield Senior High School Title: We Are Our Own Galaxy Medium: Pen & Watercolors Inspiration or Source: Inspired froma piece I did in 10th grade, after listening toa song called “Indian Rope Trick” by Flink. I took that idea, added new elements, and created this more sci-fi/fantasy piece.


#16	Artist: Emma Carbone Grade 12, Canton High School Title: Untitled Medium: Oil Pastels Inspiration or Source: I've always loved fantasy, and dragons in particular. My drawing is a classic scene of a legendary battle between man and beast.

Traditional Media Category—3D Artwork

Best in Class [Also won regular Art Show Popular Choice award.]
#17	Artist: Justin Scott LaFrenier Grade 12, Pioneer Valley Regional School Title: War Pig Medium: Fantasy Sculpted Figure Inspiration or Source: Lord of the Rings, Urak-Hai, Mythological Monsters

Honorable Mention
#18	Artist: Cassandra Annati Grade 11, Walpole High School Title: Reality? Medium: Clay, with colored glaze finish Inspiration or Source: Everything has a life force.


#19	Artist: Justin Scott LaFrenier Grade 12, Pioneer Valley Regional School Title: Man-Jungle Medium: Sci-Fi Sculpted Figure Inspiration or Source: Superheroes, Aquaman, Scene-a-rama


#20	Artist: Daniel Stern Grade 11, The John Dewey Academy Title: Afronaut Medium: Painted and glazed clay face, aluminum foil skull and afro. Inspiration or Source: I just made a clay head and then wanted to make it futuristic by painting it white and making it shiny. Then, I got aluminum foil crazy. It was fun.

Electronic Media Category—Based upon or manipulating traditional original art

Honorable Mention

#21

Artist: Shera Howe
Grade 12, Colebrook Academy, Colebrook NH
Title: Nirvana
Medium: Electronic Art-based upon source material of artist’s own creation (Source).
Inspiration or Source: I had a general feeling that people are held back from living fully, or seeing the world with clear eyes, by organized religion or obsession with what's coming next. They look too much into the future and are blinded to the present by the things they want to attain.


#22	Artist: Nick Bugieda Grade 11, Prospect Mountain High School Title: A Night Out On The Everglades Medium: Electronic art based upon other source material of artist’s own creation. Inspiration or Source: Even the sophisticated can have an inner animal.

Electronic Media Category—Based upon or manipulating non-original (ie, found) sources

Best in Class

#23

Artist: Navid Shokohzadeh
Grade 12, Plymouth South High School
Title: Oblivian Lost Zone
Medium: Electronic art based both upon material of the artist’s own creation as well as downloaded images (Source #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9).
Inspiration or Source: This is based upon the game “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” It is an alternateive history of the chynebole meltdown which spawn the zone in which muntants, and where time and physics don’t apply to the rest of the world. I was inspired to show the intensity of this world. And first I drew my idea to get a basic understanding on what I need. Then I went online + taking pics of a suit I made myself and mashed it up to this final piece.


#24	Artist: Bethany Tolley Grade 11, Coyle and Cassidy High School Title: Gate way to Heaven Medium: Electronic art based on found images (Source #1, #2). Inspiration or Source: Follow your dreams. You never know where they will take you


#25	Artist: Chris Hayes Grade 11, Cohasset High School Title: Is There Anybody Out There? Medium: Electronic art based upon found images (Source #1, #2, #3). Inspiration or Source: Insignificance of the earth in comparison to the size of the universe.

Electronic Original Category—Created entirely in Photoshop, Corel Draw, etc

Judges' Choice—Best Overall Body of Work [We considered "Judges' Choice-Most Warped Sense of Humor", but more boring heads prevailed.]
#26	Artist: Nick Bugieda Grade 11, Prospect Mountain High School Title: Out For A Stroll Medium: Electronic Original-Created entirely in Painter, Photoshop, Corel Draw, etc. Inspiration or Source: Curiousity of whats at the bottom of the sea.

Honorable Mention
#27	Artist: Linda Wong Grade 9, Matignon High School Title: Untitled Medium: Electronic Originals (sketched in opencanvas 1.1, colored in photoshop 7 w/ wacom intuos 6x8) Inspiration or Source: Nebulae, parrots, and quite possibly E.T.~


#28	Artist: Nick Bugieda Grade 11, Prospect Mountain High School Title: Squid Medium: Electronic Original-Created entirely in Painter, Photoshop, Corel Draw, etc. Inspiration or Source: Also inspired by my curiousity/interest in the ocean.

[First Professional Sale: Original & prints sold at auction.]
#29	Artist: Cassandra Annati Grade 11, Walpole High School Title: The Enigma Medium: Electronic Original - Photoshop Inspiration or Source: This piece is a culmination of all the great questions of life.


#30	Artist: Cassandra Annati Grade 11, Walpole High School Title: Create Your World Medium: Electronic Original - Photoshop Inspiration or Source: This piece symbolizes the power of the mind. If we want to, we can create worlds.