Judges’ comments on some of the other entries in the TFP wrapping paper contest
Shelby Gibbs, 10, fifth grade, Jasper Middle School. Dogs decked out in Santa hats. This was so professional-looking, a school counselor attached a note verifying the drawing was done with no assistance by this very talented student. Olivia, 10, fifth grade. No last name, teacher or school. Marshmallows floating in a sea of hot chocolate. Loved the expressions on the marshmallows and the texture of the foamy chocolate sponged on the page. Very original. Griffin Law, 9, third grade, Westview Elementary School. His stained-glass-style abstract design filled the page with rich non-traditional colors. Aaron Morrow, 10, fifth grade, Brown Academy. Loved how he emphasized different holiday celebrations with this colored pencil and marker drawing of a Christmas tree, menorah and Kwanzaa candles. Elizabeth Andrews, third grade, Riceville Elementary School, McMinn County. A riot of colored snowflakes, top hat-wearing snowmen, candy canes and presents on a striped background put us in the mood for Christmas. LaShun Kendrick, fifth grade, Bess T. Shepherd Elementary School. Loved that she thought about a repeating pattern with these charming snowmen and candy canes. The faces (and polka-dot hats) just make us smile. A.J. Garcia, 10, fifth grade, Jasper Middle School. So impressed with this crayon-and-marker drawing of a red bird carrying an ornament in its feet. A different way to illustrate celebrating a season of giving. Makayla Decouteau, 9, fourth grade, Alpine Crest Elementary School. Liked her use of materials – construction paper ornaments with spiky stars of greenery. Lilly, 8, third grade, Thrasher Elementary School. No last name. Mugs, cookies and peppermints in a repeating design colored with markers. Really captures the festive mood of the holidays.
Andrew Fillauer has been a budding artist since he was big enough to hold a crayon.
But in the last couple of years, the 10-year-old fifth-grader’s interest in art took a backseat to sports, particularly baseball and basketball, much to his mom’s dismay.
“I love that he plays sports and he’s good at it, but he’s always been such a good artist,” says Andrew’s mom, Jennifer Fillauer of Hixson. “He even took art classes after school when he was in kindergarten and first grade.
“But, since he’s gotten so involved in sports in the last couple of years, he just doesn’t take the time to draw.”
Until now.
Andrew nabbed first place in the annual Times Free Press Holiday Wrapping Paper Design Contest, one of hundreds of area students in grades first through fifth to enter. He participated in the contest through his art class at St. Jude Catholic School in Hixson.
And the win has regenerated his desire to draw. Having participated in the newspaper’s annual art contest since first grade, he admits that, at this point, he figured he’d probably never win.
“I was shocked when they told me I won,” he says. “I was really happy.”
His winning design will be displayed at the Creative Discovery Museum throughout December and it’s printed as wrapping paper in today’s newspaper. It also will be available at Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block gift-wrapping stations at Hamilton Place from Dec. 7 through Christmas Eve.
The contest was cosponsored by Kids on the Block, ArtsBuild and the Creative Discovery Museum.
When it was time to come up with a wrapping-paper design, Andrew didn’t just go at it willy-nilly. Instead, he gave it serious thought.
“My art teacher, Ms. Cecil, told us that she wanted us to draw something that was bright and attractive,” he says. “I thought about it for a little while, and drew some designs on scratch paper until I drew something I was satisfied with. Our teacher also told us to consider a pattern, so I did.”
The children’s art was judged by Rodney Van Valkenburg, Julie Jackson and Caroline Bulman, all from ArtsBuild; Wendy Davis and Kasandra Helms of Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block; Liza Blair from the Creative Discovery Museum; and Lin C. Parker and Sara Jackson, page designers at the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
“We are always amazed at the creativity and originality of the designs,” says Van Valkenburg. “We look for artwork that stands out. In Andrew’s piece, each of the snowmen are unique and make me smile.”
Andrew’s mom says she encouraged her son’s talent in art by making sure he always had supplies handy.
“I’ve always loved his drawings. And, though I encourage it, I’m not an artist. I can only draw stick figures,” she says.
Her son’s talent, she explains, was influenced by his father, Michael Fillauer, who also enjoys drawing.
“Michael would always draw superhero comic book characters for Andrew, and Andrew, in turn, would draw them, too,” she says, holding a framed drawing of Batman that Andrew drew when he was in the first grade.
“He’s a creative kid,” she says. “He recently had to do a project for science where he had to create an animal that doesn’t exist. He drew a picture of the animal, and it was really good.
“I’m hoping that winning this contest will encourage him to continue to draw,” she says.
Andrew thinks it will.
“I probably will start drawing again,” he says. “I didn’t tell anyone about the contest, so my parents didn’t even know I had entered it.”
Additional winners include Ashyln Williams, 10, of Cleveland, home-schooled, second place; Charlotte McGinness, 11, Lookout Mountain Elementary School, third place; Mary Jenkins Holliday, 10, Thrasher Elementary, honorable mention, and Allanah Hinkson, 8, Tennessee Christian Preparatory School in Cleveland, honorable mention.