YOU WOULDN’T think a six-year-old with a passion for fairies has much in common with TD Ruairí Quinn. However, yesterday national school pupil Tori Douglas followed in the politician’s footsteps, scooping first prize in her category at Ireland’s premier art competition for young people.
Tori, from Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, won the prize at the Texaco art competition for her work entitled Fairy on a Mushroom.
An avid fan of fairies, princesses, princes and castles, Tori put left-over chocolate wrappers from Christmas to good use by sticking them to her drawing, adding some sparkle to a sweet picture.
Just six years of age, Tori’s early conversion to art was probably inevitable. Her mother is an industrial designer.
The competition, now in its 55th year, attracted more than 34,000 entries, with the top award going to four-time prize-winner Mantas Poderys.
Mantas was described as having “the skill, imagination and talent required to become a leading name in the world of Irish art” by Prof Declan McGonagle, director of the National College of Art and Design. He collects prize money of €2,000 for winning the top award.
Back in 1963, Ruairí Quinn collected £75.
The 18-year-old Donegal student won first prize for his multiple image composition consisting of five self-portraits under the title You Talkin’ to Me?
“I wanted to do something special for the competition as it’s the last year I can enter, and a self-portrait is one of the hardest things to do as an artist cannot lie about himself,” he said.
Commenting on the winner, chairman of the judging panel Prof McGonagle said Mantas could be “justifiably regarded as one of Ireland’s foremost young artists”.
Gorey Community School in Co Wexford also scored a notable success, scooping first prize in category B of the competition for the second year running.
Henry Collie, the great-grandson of the late artist George Collie RHA, an eminent portrait painter, won the prize for his self-portrait in oil pastels.
Asked if he would be following in his great-grandfather’s footsteps, the 15-year-old student replied that “for the moment, art is just a hobby”.
One of the youngest prize-winners was Jenna Reeves (5) from Castletroy in Co Limerick.
Describing her work, she said, “It’s of a girl who has to wear a bridesmaid dress to her aunt’s wedding and she doesn’t want to wear it.”
Jenna was also quick to explain the reason: “She doesn’t like it.”
Previous winners of the competition include artists Graham Knuttel and Robert Ballagh, fashion designer Paul Costelloe, Ictu general secretary David Begg and communications consultant Terry Prone.
Winners
Category A (16 to 18 years)
1st:Mantas Poderys, You Talkin to Me?, Create-A-Link Art Studio, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
2nd:Sinéad Allen, My Grandad, My Storyteller, Loreto Secondary School, Fermoy, Co Cork.
3rd:Keith Blake, Woman #1, Presentation Secondary School, Thurles, Co Tipperary.
Category B (14 to 15 years)
1st:Henry Collie, Untitled, Gorey Community School, Gorey, Co Wexford.
2nd:Rachel Waterman, Bette Davis Eyes, Bloomfield Collegiate, Belfast.
3rd:Éimear Kinsella, My Sister, Ríona, Abbey Community College, Ferrybank, Waterford.
Category C (12 to 13 years)
1st:Clare McKelvey, Self Portrait, Rathmore Grammar School, Belfast.
2nd:Sarah Granahan, Berries, St Joseph's SS, Castlebar, Co Mayo.
3rd:Alana Clancy, Pink Jug, St Canaire's NS, Shannon, Co Clare.
Category D (9 to 11 years)
1st:Jesse Byrne, Still Life, St Mary's CBS, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
2nd:Ava Murphy, Solitaire, Ballinkillen NS, Muinebeag, Co Carlow.
3rd:Muireann Nulty, 2 Dogs at a Brick Wall, Skerries Art School, Skerries, Co Dublin.
Category E (7 and 8 years)
1st:Rachel Hinchy, Close Up Personal, The Afterschool Club, Milford NS, Castletroy, Limerick.
2nd:Caoimhe O'Donoghue, My Granny Úna, Scoil Mhuire, Oranmore, Co Galway.
3rd:Fionn Kelly, Colours, St Anne's NS, Straffan, Co Kildare.
Category F (6 years and under)
1st:Tori Douglas, Fairy on a Mushroom, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny.
2nd:Lucy MacRandal, My Night Garden, Belfast.
3rd:Jenna Reeves, New Dress, The Afterschool Club, Milford NS, Castletroy, Limerick.
Category G (special needs – young adults and children)
1st:Trevor Kershaw, Wally, St Joseph's Special NS, Tallaght, Dublin 24.
2nd:Mark Walsh, The 100 Eyed Alien, Our Lady of Fatima Special School, Wexford.
3rd:Sinéad Doherty, The Vintage Car, Loreto Secondary School, Letterkenny, Co
Donegal.