FWSSR Art Contest Winners Attend Workshop

On January 27, Upper School Art Teacher Holly Clifford and her Painting and Drawing students – some of whom contributed to FWCD’s winning classroom entry in the FWSSR Art Contest – attended the Cowboy Artist of America Workshop with Imagination Fort Worth at the Will Rogers Coliseum. The students in attendance were Nat Angel ’28, Clara Cimo ’28, Lyle Crumley ’25, Cal Neubauer ’26, Julia Pham ’28, Anna Schwartz ’26, Emily Simpson ’27, Eden Turner ’26 and Ashley Ortega ’25.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime type experience provided by Imagination Fort Worth and the FWSSR Art Contest organizers,” said Clifford. “To stand in the historic building of Will Rogers Arena, to be able to reach out and touch the livestock (subject) as they sculpted and drew under the guidance of some of the best western artists around was an unparalleled opportunity for these young artists. The joy and giddiness on the faces of these art students as they soaked up the rare opportunity to be totally absorbed in their artmaking uninterrupted was a gift. As any artist will confirm, drawing, painting, sculpting from life is incomparable.”

With two horses and a longhorn as models, the students spent most of the day at Will Rogers using charcoal, India ink and clay to create likenesses of the animals. Cowboy Artists of America, who traveled from across Texas and as far as Cody, Wyoming, guided the students and answered questions about life as a working artist. At the end of the day, the students came home with their large sketchpad, drawing board, armature (sculpture frame) and sculpture as memories of this amazing experience. 

“It was really cool to learn from artists who use these mediums and see their creative process,” said Neubauer. “I had a great time.”