Local High School Students Take Top Honors In National Art Competition

Monday, May 7th 2007, 10:30 am

By: News On 6

Itâ€™s a great day to be a duck or a duck stamp artist. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosts a national Junior Duck Stamp art competition each year. It's a program designed to encourage conservation and knowledge of wildlife through art, and the News On 6â€™s Rick Wells reports two Skiatook High School Students took top honors.

Cole Lamson and Jonathan Thompson are two very talented young artists from Skiatook High School. They are showing off some of their projects from the last year or so. They are Best of Show and Runner Up in the Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest sponsored by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

"I spent 23 hours on the drawing,â€ said Lamson. â€œI think I spent even more on the research.â€

It is a pair of Northern Pintail ducks on final approach. It was selected best of more than 200 entries state wide.

The Fish and Wildlife service provides a list of waterfowl species and the artist must select a subject from that list. The program promotes knowledge of wildlife and nature. Every artist has a focus. For Lamson, it's western wildlife.

"I'm most fascinated with horses,â€ said Lamson.

For Thompson, the focus is portraits. Many of them are quick sketches done of other students in art class. Lamson and Thompson sit together in class. They trade ideas and share techniques.

â€œWe've been trying for a 1,2 finish all year,â€ said Lamson. â€œWe finally pulled it off."

Lamson's Best of Show piece has been submitted with all the other state winners to the national competition in Washington. Lots of Lamson and Thompsonâ€™s other work will be on display at a Skiatook High School art show next Monday Evening.