After entering 13 of her art pieces online to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, Madison Walters, sophomore, was ecstatic when she found out three of her pieces won.

“I was really excited, and also a bit bemused. I wasn’t expecting to win at all, it was a big surprise,” Walters said. She achieved the regional contest and her gold winning pieces will be on display at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, with a ceremony on Feb. 20.

This is her first big contest she has ever entered her art in, even though she has been drawing for as long as she can remember. It is a big part of her life and she believes her “passion for creation and improvement” is something she’s always had.

Her go-to art is simple sketching because, “it’s easy, accessible and also great practice.” When she has an idea she starts on paper and builds off of it.

“I greatly admire artists that can create lifelike images out of nowhere.” Walters said. She enjoys and is trying to work on being more spontaneous with her pieces.

She started drawing just for kicks but as she started appreciating people’s work she realized at a young age that an artist was something she wanted to be. She believes that art is something you need to work hard at if you want to achieve,

“I use art to relax and let go of anxiety, but it’s also a constant uphill road of failure and improvement,” Walters said.

She hopes to enhance her skills and maybe even enter more contests.

“Art is my way of having fun, but it’s also just an integral part of my life. So I certainly don’t see a future without it,” Walters said.