Junior Channing Mulholland started using shaded words to create a portrait of one of her favorite band members from Of Mice and Men, not knowing that she would win a prize for an art piece that she created months before.

On Oct. 3-5, the Maitland Rotary Art Festival featured art students in elementary, middle and high school. The show, which offered cash prizes, was aimed at students and families, and to art admirers.

Art teacher Mary Marinel submitted three digital art students’ work to this festival on Sept. 19: juniors Alexis Dolnack’s digital painting, Channing Mulholland’s typography portrait, and Emaleigh Metcalfe-Sanchez’s surreal self-portrait.

The art festival started at noon on Oct. 2 with set up, and judging began on Oct 4 through a panel of judges not from the schools, and each piece was judged separately in a category. The festival consisted of categories such as digital painting, typography, and traditional painting.

Mulholland won first place, earning $30 prize for a typography piece using shaded words instead of shading and paint to form the face of her favorite band member, Austin Carlile, the lead singer for Of Mice and Men.

“I used quotes that he said and song lyrics to form his face, so my piece was sort of inspirational,” Mulholland said.

Both Dolnack and Sanchez won the merit awards and tickets to the festival. Dolnack painted a New York City in full color at night, while Sanchez took a self-portrait that showed her blowing away a beach.

“I painted a city because I like to be in cities since they are lively and stimulating,” Dolnack said.

Both Metcalfe-Sanchez and Dolnack were surprised by the merit awards, but not Marinel.

“I thought each of the pieces was an outstanding display of digital art, and deserved the awards,” Marinel said.

The next art festival, Oviedo’s Great Day in the Country, will be held on Nov. 7.