Blood Brothers

When I was a senior in high school, I was in an art class. I had gotten into it to fulfill my humanities elective, but I truly loved the class. Even after I had fulfilled my elective, I continued to go because it was a great outlet for my artistic nature. And because I had met some amazing people that were fun to talk to.

My favorite medium was sketching with pencil. I loved the challenge of creating contour and texture with different pressure and darkness. I found myself sketching all the time at home too, and my girlfriend enjoyed creating art with me. So, when the school posted a contest to have your artwork entered into the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, we both submitted a piece.

The theme was supposed to have something to do with cowboys, ranching, the Old West, etc. Which made sense since it was going to be at the rodeo. My girlfriend’s sketch was of a wrinkled old cowboy, titled aptly “The Old Man.” Mine was a portrait of the faces of an American Indian and a cowboy both staring off into the distance in opposite directions…from different worlds yet connected. I called it “Blood Brothers.”

I was very nervous, because I’d never entered an art contest, nor had I ever displayed my work publicly before. It turns out that it was completely unwarranted. I was selected as one of three finalists whose work would be sent to the rodeo. Unfortunately, my girlfriend’s work did not make the cut, so it was a bittersweet victory. She was very supportive of me though.

I didn’t actually attend the rodeo, so I never got to see my work displayed. But I was notified a few weeks later that I had one First Prize, which was really second place. I think someone that had painted a realistic picture of a longhorn actually won Grand Prize, so it’s hard to be upset. Not bad for my first and only art contest.