By Janelle Tang, High School Senior, England, United Kingdom.
Horse Sketch: This was originally the planning sketch for a painted piece following a photo shoot (capturing the vitality and movement of horses). But while sketching it from a picture, I realised that there was much more to the muscles and twitches in the musculature of the horse than I had initially thought. Hoping to learn more about the facial structure and how the animal uses each muscle, I started sketching it out in more detail, finding tiny veins in the photograph that I had looked past originally. Eventually, the pencil sketch turned into a detailed pencil drawing of the horse. This not only allowed me to finesse my pencil skills, but also it led to a more detailed understanding of a horse’s musculature, which was later applied to another painting.
Horse Painting:
This painting was created after a photo shoot to capture horses’ vitality and movement and my curiosity to explore digital tools like Photoshop. I layered multiple pictures of horses, saddles and reigns together, and juggled with the formats, colouring and opacity of each image, and used different filters on each to highlight multiple areas on each image. This allowed me to focus on fine details I was interested in each image, treating each of them differently and associating colours and tone with each image, while still capturing the likeness of the horse. The medium of oil paint allowed me to create details in the image, changing the opacity as well through thinning the paint down in different areas, finally creating a cohesive painting that blends and flows throughout using optical mixing.
About the Artist:
Janelle Tang is a rising senior at Wycombe Abbey School in England. With a passion for art that ignited during her early years, Janelle has been painting since she was a young girl. As she grew, her curiosity led her to explore the captivating worlds of ceramics and textiles. With an adventurous spirit, Janelle delved into the realms of oil painting and hand-building pottery, and her artistic horizons expanded exponentially.
Janelle’s artistic interests encompass a deep fascination with the Romanticism period of art, as well as the captivating allure of Oriental styles, such as Ukiyo-e prints. Diving into these subjects, she has written essays and conducted extensive research, delving into the techniques and styles of these art forms. This process has not only enriched her knowledge but has also ignited an even greater passion for the world of art.
As the Head of History of Art Society at her school, Janelle strives to inspire her peers and create a thriving artistic community. Her artistic journey has been one of growth, exploration, and unwavering dedication to the arts. With her unquenchable thirst for knowledge and her desire to generate unique ideas and solutions, Janelle hopes to leave an indelible mark on the canvas of artistic expression and beyond.
The 2022 Young Poet Awards was organized by Camille S. Campbell in partnership with us. A teen author herself, Camille knows the importance of encouraging young writers through showcasing their work. The contest encouraged youth to write poems and empowered them to express themselves through the visual arts. After seeing the impact of her book, Her Poems: Women Poets Who Changed the World, Camille felt inspired to give back to her local community and throughout the country by hosting the Young Poet Awards contest.
We’re very grateful to all students (and also their teachers and parents) who entered their creative works. Our heartfelt congratulations to the winners of the contest this year: Carina Araujo (4th grade winner) and Nova Macknik-Conde (5th grade winner). The two Young Poets will receive a cash prize, Skipping Stones Magazine subscription and recent issues, signed copies of Camille’s book, and four books donated by Skipping Stones Magazine.
4th Grade Winner:Carina Araujo, Maryland.
My Love for my Mom
Art and poem by Carina Araujo, grade 4, Maryland.
My love for you is bigger than the sky
You and me in this beautiful warm night
Staring at the moonlight
Together, you and me
Looking at the big blue bright sky
There are infinite stars above us
Shining in the sky
Holding hands together we stand
Peace all around
In our land
Carina Araujo, grade 4, Maryland (above).
5th Grade Winner:Nova Macknik-Conde, New York.
Winter In My Bed
Glittering white powder covers my home like a frosted cake
The silent fall of snow lulls me to sleep
Icicles lining the roof
The chance of snowmen when I wake up
Cold harsh weather surrounds my home
But it cannot penetrate the warm soft blankets that cover me
Like a hatchling in her nest
Winter in my bed
A full moon glows lighting up my face
My family sleeping warm
Through the frosty night
Me, listening to the sounds of night and family
Slowly drifting to sleep
In my snuggly, lovely, cuddly bed
By Nova Macknik-Conde, grade 5, New York.
Writer’s Block
My pen lingers over the page,
Cobalt ink waiting in the depths,
I imagine, and I ponder, and I muse.
But still the thief steals my well of words,
Cheats me of my cascading thoughts,
And takes my waterfalls of compositions.
The vague scent of ink on a fresh sheet of paper,
The articulation of inspiration,
The quiet bliss of the flowing verse.
The thief deprives me of the joy of invention,
The dexterity of novels, poems, and short stories,
“After learning about the war in Ukraine, I was immediately worried about my grandfather and his wife, who live in Ukraine. At first, I felt that there was little I could do to help the Ukrainian people. But then I realized how art can be an important tool to show support for Ukraine during their fight to protect their land and homes from invaders. In my digital artwork ‘Kaleidoscope of Freedom,’ the center is the Ukrainian flag surrounded by the flags of countries that stand with Ukraine. It expresses the message that the people of Ukraine are not alone in the fight for their land and freedom.”
By Camille Campbell, Age 17, Arizona. Also see Camille’s poem COLORS OF UKRAINE and art published earlier on this website. She adds: “I’ve printed over 5,000 stickers with my art for rallies in Arizona, California and New York. The digital art is based on my silk art (the Ukrainian painting technique) and conveys the message that many countries of the world support Ukraine.” The donations that people make at these rallies support the Ukraine cause.
By Yarynka Yarosh, age 15, grade 9, Kyiv, Ukraine.
Standing near the window in her room, Christine cried quietly. She had long ago learned to wail silently so that no one would hear. Especially Mom. Or maybe she had just spent all her loud tears. Sometimes, after a series of such noiseless sobs, her pillow was too wet to sleep upon. Now those silent, salty streams were there once more, flowing down her cheeks, sprinkling her favorite violet raglan.
Down there, in the yard, her friends are playing volleyball. Olenka serves the ball to Max, he hurls it over the net at Slavko, but Slavko palms the ball back skillfully. Twins Marusya and Oles` back him up closely. The whole team was there, except Christine!
The last time, they had played together was at the start of November, before the first snow. Then came that long and cold winter when Christine fell ill. Now, all the danger was past her, but she still couldn’t play. So every single day she just stood at her window, hidden behind the curtain and watched the exciting game. Her friends shouted for her every time they went out, but she rejected all invitations. She had no difficulty running. No, there was another reason—she just couldn’t confide in them.
Christine sighed and sat on her bed, burying her head into her hands. Not a single hair under her fingers.
Last year had changed Christine’s life radically, ruining plans, dreams. The hospital room, IV`s, doctors, that awful laser lamp, endless chemos were again flickering before her eyes. Christine had no wish to replay all those dreadful months in her head, so she shook her head like she used to do before all that when she still had her beautiful hair. Oh, she was so proud of it! She had the longest hair in her year! And now she has nothing, but plenty of unpleasant thoughts scurrying in her head, like a scattered jigsaw puzzle. Christine was so full of self-pity that she started to cry again. After all this, she had learned to bear physical pain, but not the absence of her chestnut curls.
Oh, how she wanted to run with the “Volley Sixth” again, but…
Christine didn’t want her friends to see her without hair—anything but that! Her pals still had no idea that she was now bald—her parents bought her a wig so that no one would ever know.
Illustration by Yarynka Yarosh, age 15, grade 9, Kyiv, Ukraine
Christine got up and returned to the window. The field was now ringing with laughter—Slavko had just returned the ball in an unusual manner, locking his fingers in a weird knot. Christine poked her head out of her hidey-hole behind a curtain and imagined herself running over the field with her friends. There she is, taking a pass from Slavko, then feeding the ball out to Olenka and running for it just in time to catch a master shoot from Oles`, and then…
Everybody at the field was suddenly staring at her, at her window. Five confused faces. Absent-mindedly Christine scratched her head and suddenly the chills went up her spine… She had forgotten to put her wig on! She usually went about the flat without her fake hair and watched the game from behind the curtain. Today, however, she got so carried away she completely forgot to mind the “danger zone”.
Realizing that her friends saw her baldness the girl yelped and hid her face in her hands. Then she darted away from the window, fell on her bed, and burst into tears. Tomorrow’s her birthday and all the members of “Volley Sixth” were planning to visit—that was the most tragic thing of all!
Her Mom came into the room, alarmed.
“I`m the only bald person in my class! No, in the whole school, in the whole city!” cried Christine loudly, like the moment she was told about her diagnosis. “I don’t want any party on my birthday!”
Mom hugged her tenderly. “But your hair will grow back, for sure, my skylark,” she soothed.
“I can’t speak to them normally, knowing they saw me bald!”
“If they are really and truly your friends, that should mean nothing to them,” she responded.
But does she really have… true friends?
That night Christine had a beautiful dream.
“Come on, Christine, serve it! That’s my girl!” shouted Slavko.
“It’s so good to play volleyball with my friends!” Christine was rejoicing, serving the ball on the other half of the field. Suddenly, she saw it hurtling towards her. She wanted to break it, but her knees quaked and felt like cotton…
Somebody touched her shoulder very softly. Christine opened her eyes and instantly squeezed them tightly shut, hiding from the tickling morning light… Mom and Dad were standing near her bed, smiling and holding a present. So she had only dreamt about the game, how sad!
“Ding-dong,” rang the entry phone in a while. Christine quickly slipped her wig on.
And there they were! Olenka, Slavko, Maxim, Oles` and Marusya. They had come empty-handed, and for some reason, were all wearing hats.
“Well, as agreed! On the count of three,” cried Slavko. “One, two, three!”
“Happy birthday!” And they swept off their hats as one.
They all had clean-shaven their heads!
And they hugged the birthday girl, all at once.
That was the best birthday party Christine ever had!
After the birthday treats, “Volley Sixth,” now fully complete, went to the sports ground before Christine`s window. Now Christine had difficulty identifying her friends on the field, she still hadn’t got over their new hairstyles.
Then she remembered her dream. Now she couldn’t recall whether she had her curls there or not. Not that it had any importance now. She was quite happy without her hair now, for she had true friends.
By Yarynka Yarosh, age 15, studies in grade 9, Kyiv, Ukraine.
Yarynka writes, “I like painting, playing piano, reading, speaking with my family about anything, writing poetry, and stories, of course. I’m from Ukraine, and I want peace in the whole world, and for ourselves.
“On the 9th of March, we were forced to leave our home city, beautiful Kyiv (because of the Russian invasion)… Now my family and I are in a safe place, and I’m so thankful to God that we are still alive! But my grandparents are still in Kyiv. Please, pray for them!
“I was really surprised, when I read your email (of acceptance). I’m thankful for your positive response. You made me happy and gave me more confidence and hope 🙂 Ukraine needs your prayers, we feel your emotional support.”
Or is it four years, or five decades, but definitely when
the polar bears start swimming to New York
The sea groans and rumbles
As waves upon waves of human trash clog her up
She sniffles amidst the crushing silence
Sea snot collects on her waves
History starts to crumble
Our oldest trees cut down
Nature groans and shakes
In a futile effort to stop the abuse
The planet prepares itself for destruction
The pain is unlike anything she has ever experienced before
Crops shrivel up in the infernos that run rampant across the landscape
Such displays are necessary to attract humanity’s short attention span
Animals feel nature’s anguish
They flee North
Until they cannot go any further
More lives snuffed out by humanity’s greed
The most vulnerable of the population suffer
Heat waves overwhelm the wounded, elderly, and sick
Surely we did not mean to wage warfare on the defenseless
But it is only a matter of time before conditions deteriorate further
Schoolchildren sullenly trudge across the parched land
The sky turns black as clouds suddenly gather
They look up, hopeful for the touch of the fabled snowflake
Warm rain drizzles, then the omnipresent sun returns
In some places floods wash away human remains
Our ancestors disturbed by Nature’s wrath
They weep as they behold the desolate world around them
For the fate of the next generation
Art and Poem by Daniel Liu, age 16, New York.
Daniel Liu adds: “I am a sixteen year old writer that lives in New York. I am very passionate about the issue of climate change, as it is an enduring issue that grows ever larger with each generation and is deserving of attention from all of society. These poems are a testament to the various consequences of climate change in every aspect of society, from agriculture to insurance. To this extent, I hope that these poems are enough to inspire a sense of alarm for the Earth’s future, but just as importantly, hope that humanity can unify in order to reverse the ecological damage that has been done. It is in times of great crisis that innovation and change are at their peak, and humanity’s resilience is shown through our uplifting moments.”
The desperate family feels the vicious sting of betrayal
When Insurance blacklists the entire zip code
Businessmen reassure themselves of their morality
Accepting this debt will only cause their bankruptcy
But what of
The newborn baby, still fresh from the womb
The elderly grandparents, who have worked decades to afford the house
The first casualties of the consequences of the war humans wage on the planet
How long must the injustice go on
How many icebergs must melt
The gushing stream of the Earth’s blood
Will overwhelm us if change is not forthcoming
Art and poem by Daniel Liu, age 16, New York.
Daniel Liu adds:
“I am a sixteen year old writer that lives in New York. I am very passionate about the issue of climate change, as it is an enduring issue that grows ever larger with each generation and is deserving of attention from all of society. These poems are a testament to the various consequences of climate change in every aspect of society, from agriculture to insurance. To this extent, I hope that these poems are enough to inspire a sense of alarm for the Earth’s future, but just as importantly, hope that humanity can unify in order to reverse the ecological damage that has been done. It is in times of great crisis that innovation and change are at their peak, and humanity’s resilience is shown through our uplifting moments.”
Tang Li was born in the United States, and she speaks and learns to write in English, Mandarin, and French. She has had one-year horseback riding experience She is very fond of riding and taking care of horses, and she misses those good old days. She wants to be a veterinarian in the future; her dream hasn’t changed since she was four years old.
In Tang’s realistic fiction, Horse Dream, she used the main character Molly to realize her dream, by choosing an ideal location and a dream horse to ride. She began her creative writing by introducing Molly: “Hi. My name is Molly. I am ten years old and was born in Paris, Texas. Yes! It may sound crazy and this Paris even has an Eiffel Tower, just like the one in France. But this Eiffel Tower has a gigantic cowboy hat! My house is just a few blocks away from the Eiffel Tower.
“I have always dreamed of being a cowgirl. Horses are such beautiful animals! I begged mom and dad to sign me up for horseback riding lessons… In school, my favorite part was recess because I got to swing high up on the swings and to see the horse pasture on the other side of the school wall. My favorite horse was a horse named Fiona. She is a brown quarterback horse with a white mark shaped like a rhombus between her eyes. I always hoped to ride on Fiona someday.”
“This is my tiger car to fight again the Monster Nian! I’m driving the car. My dad, my mom, and Ryan are in the car. This car can protect us from all the bad things — monsters, viruses, and bad guys! It is the best car ever!”
Horse Painting: 
