A 16-year-old from Donegal has been declared the winner of the Texaco Children’s Art competition.
PJ Doherty, a student at St Eunan’s College in Letterkenny, also took first prize in the 16-18 years age category.
His winning artwork is entitled Me And My Dad, and is a portrait study in coloured pencil of the artist and his father, Patrick.
PJ will receive a prize of €1,500.
Final adjudicator and chairman of the judging panel, Prof Declan McGonagle, said that PJ’s piece is “a powerful double portrait, achieved using a dramatic lighting effect.”
PJ’s technical skill enabled him to depict the two personalities and their relationship, according to Prof McGonagle.
PJ said the inspiration for his winning portrait came to him when he noticed his father sitting by a lamp.
He was attracted to the diverse range of light sources coming from it, which gave him the opportunity to work with warm yellow and orange hues, combined with blue and purple tones.
Last year, PJ won first prize in the 14-15 years age category for his self-portrait.
The Donegal teenager hails from an artistic family and is the youngest of four children.
He thanked his mother Martina for encouraging his passion. “She has always been creative, both with painting and working with pottery,” he said.
PJ has just started fifth year, and he plans to become an artist when he finishes school.
The competition is now in its 76th year, and Texaco’s sponsorship is the longest-running sponsorship of any arts competition in Ireland.
Winners in other categories included Kerry student Clodagh McCluskey, who took first prize in the 14-15 years age category. The student from Presentation Secondary School Tralee won for her work Feathers.
In the 12-13 years age category, first prize was won by Philippa Dunlop from St Andrew’s National School, Malahide for My Self Portrait.
Mae Cowper-Gray, a pupil at Scoil Bhríde, Kilcullen, won the 9-11 years age category, for her piece Missing Ella (Lockdown Loneliness).
First prize in the 7-8 years age category went to Ella Kelly from Saints Michael and Peter Junior School, Arklow, for her work Red Apple.
Muhammad Hadi Qureshi (4), from Parish Community Woman Centre, Mullingar, won in the 6 years and under age category, for a work Dog (Finger Print Art).
First prize in Category G, which is reserved for entries from young artists of all ages with special needs, was won by 16-years old James Moonan, a pupil at The Arthouse, Drogheda.
This is James’s third year taking first place in this category. This year he won for his work entitled Heron On The River Boyne.