Senior James Copeland sat in art class working on his next project. Art teacher Mr. Mason walked to Copeland and told him he won the art contest in the Mansfield Music Festival. Copeland felt shocked, but not just because he won the contest.

“I didn’t know I was going to be in it [the contest],” Copeland said.

The music festival ran on Oct. 15 and 16. Along with a variety of local musical guests, new and returning, the festival hosted an art contest. The theme of the contest was “History in the making” and all the art in the contest had to interpret the theme in a strictly 2D fashion, using mediums such as paintings, drawings and photography. Mr. Mason put James’ art into the contest for him. Copeland was surprised his art placed as well as it did.

“I felt like they messed up the judging,” Copeland said. “I don’t draw for a message. I just kind of do it.”

He drew a charcoal drawing of himself in front of a vibrant sunset of reds, oranges, and purples. Although his art wasn’t drawn with the theme in mind, Copeland’s art won the contest. He doesn’t feel he needs a reason to draw. Copeland feels compelled to draw in order to capture something exactly the way it stands.

“I’m a perfectionist,” Copeland said. “If I’m drawing a picture of something, and there is a smudge on it, I have to draw it exactly how it is. Its not right to me [otherwise].”