A young artist with a passion for painting animals turned heads to win a Frodsham art competition.
George Davies, 11, from Vicars Cross, won the People’s Choice award the at the Castle Park Arts Centre 30th Open Art Exhibition.
His winning work featuring an African elephant clearly impressed visitors and topped the public vote.
George’s mum Faye Davies said winning the prize had given her son the encouragement to take his art even further.
Faye said: “He’s been drawing since he was about four years old, I always draw with him and he’s just picked it up really quickly.
“George was really excited when he was announced as the winner, it’s definitely given him more encouragement too.
“I was really glad for him and the family are all very proud.”
The Judge’s Choice prize, which was also open to sculptors, photographers and jewellers, was given to joint winners Ron Coleman, from Knutsford, and Jenny Holland, from Ruthin.
They could not separate Ron’s piece ‘Strange Fruit III’ and Jenny’s painting of Dunbar harbour in Scotland.
This was the second time George, who attends Christleton High School, had entered into the competition.
Castle Park Arts manager Kim Horton said the 11-year-old’s work had come on ‘so much’ since he had first come to the centre.
She said: “Everyone including the judging committee were very impressed with George’s work, that’s why he won!
“The competition is of course open to all ages, but his elephant painting was so good it was able to hold its own with the older artists.”
Faye said her son wants to follow in the footsteps of renowned British artist and conservationist David Shepherd CBE, who is famous for his depictions of wildlife.
She said: “At the moment George wants to be like David Shepherd and go and paint animals in Africa, he’s really ambitious.
“He watches a lot of nature programmes and has always been very interested in animals and conservation.
“But he knows if he wants to be really good at it he’ll have to go out there himself and learn all about them.”
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