2022 Youth Art Contest

In collaboration with the Friends of Tualatin River NWRC and the Tualatin River NWRC

Fiona Wang - First Place

Acrylic and gouache on canvas

Group Level: Grade 10-12

Message

To me, this painting is the epitome of ‘picturing myself in nature’ because I referenced real photos from my life when creating this piece. I have hiked and visited various regions of Oregon, and during each trip, I have documented my experience through photos. In addition to adapting a real photo of my friends and me sitting on a rock, I also added elements of the Tualatin River wildlife to our surroundings. For example, I decided to choose animals that really live near the Tualatin River such as the Douglas squirrel, black-tailed deer, and mallard duck. All of these creatures have unique features (eg. a black streak on their stomach, a black tail, and a bright green head) that I wanted to capture within my painting. By combining real aspects of my life and nature, this painting is what I envision when I ‘picture myself in nature.’