For the past four years, 16-year-old Irish artist Shania McDonagh has participated in the Texaco Children’s Art Competition, an art contest for children in Ireland held every year since 1955. Just looking at the astounding portrait below, it may come as no surprise that McDonagh has won the top prize for her age category every year since she was 12, and this week snagged the top prize for the 2014 competition with this hyper-realistic pencil drawing of a man titled Coleman.
The judging panel chairman, Declan McGonagle, director of the National College of Art & Design, remarked that the girl’s work could position her “as one of the most talented artists of her generation, and one whose skill could see her become one of Ireland’s foremost portrait artists of the future.” We would be inclined to agree.
The original photo was taken by James Fennell, depicting fisherman and seaweed harvester Coleman Coyne. For her talent McDonagh snagged a $2,075 (€1,500) award which she will receive next month.
