Cary Student Wins Online Art Competition
Cary, NC – A student at Davis Drive Middle School won an online art competition for her interpretive illustration of “Electricity.”
Winning Illustration
Sarvagna Ravi submitted her “Electricity” piece to Artsonia, a student artwork database and fundraising resource. Artsonia holds an “Artist of the Week” program where students submit their work and then website users can vote for a favorite in each age group, and Ravi’s “Electricity” won out.
“I learned about lightning in class and how you’re not supposed to go under a tree, so I started thinking about lightning and electricity,” Ravi said.
The piece was part of an arts assignment from her teacher Andrea Croom, who has students illustrate an abstract concept such as, in this case, electricity.
“They can illustrate however they want. The goal is for them to be creative,” Croom said. “I always encourage my students to learn more about the things they’re interested in.”
With her winning piece, Ravi earned a $50 gift card for arts supplies from Artsonia and Davis Drive Middle School received a $100 gift card.
“When I found out I won, I just wanted to know, what’s going to happen next? What am I going to do?” Ravi said. “With the gift card, I want to get colored pencils, some paints and a canvass. I really like to paint.”
Sarvagna Ravi’s “Electricity”
Encouraging the Arts
In “Electricity,” Ravi kept it black-and-white and said she used techniques she picked up from past projects.
“I started with self-portraits and I learned how to shade from that. I used some of that here too,” Ravi said.
Mixing arts techniques between pieces is something Croom said she encourages in her students.
“I love it when they take what they learn in one lesson and carry it over to another assignment,” Croom said, whether it’s the shading seen here or Ravi taking her class on lightning and applying it to the artwork here.
Croom said she has been using Artsonia as a resource since she started teaching art.
“It’s an excellent way for kids to put their artwork out there,” Croom said. “We have a very diverse school and it’s a good way for relatives to see the artwork internationally.”
Left to right: Andrea Croom and Sarvagna Ravi
Story by Michael Papich. Photos by Michael Papich and artwork courtesy of Sarvagna Ravi.
