Five Wicklow students win big in Texaco Children’s Art Contest

Greystones Community College has been buzzing since learning that student Freyja Ryan Dockrell claimed a second top prize in the Texaco Children’s Art Competition.

Now in its 70th year, the competition aims to showcase the work of students of all ages across Ireland, with five winners coming from County Wicklow.

Freyja, a third year student, entered a self-portrait entitled ‘Tired’. The 14-year-old captured the moment when she was involved in a sports tournament and accidentally received a knock to the head. Her artwork depicts her lacking energy, drinking a capri sun with an ice pack wrapped in a yellow scarf on her head.

Though this piece is full of life and colour, Freyja’s entry last year ‘Tonal Drawing’ was a black and white portrait of a person with what appears to be dandelion seeds on their neck and shoulder, some of them still lilting in the breeze.

That won a special merit award and this year ‘Tired’ again claimed a special merit award in Freyja’s new age category, 14-15.

Commenting on Freyja’s success, art teacher Joan Morton remarked on her natural talent. “From the beginning of first year, Freyja has been a talented and inspired art student and never afraid to try new things. We are really proud of these achievements on the national stage.” Two other Wicklow artists were winning a special merit award for the second successive year. Aidan Bolger (18) from Aughrim won last year with a portrait of the now deceased RTÉ broadcaster Charlie Bird and this year took the prize for ‘The Entry’ a portrait of a serious-looking man watching through a window as he takes notes in a book.

Martyna Gabriel (18) from Dominican College in Wicklow was a winner last year with ‘Whale Rider’, an exceptional painting of a little girl with daisies in her hair and hands, standing on a green above Wicklow Harbour. This year and impactful image of an older man with his dog, caught outside a shed with a head torch at night was her winning piece.

St. Catherine’s Special School (Newcastle) student, Donncha Hunter (16), and Michael Halpin (13) from New Court School in Bray were also winners for Wicklow.