Literary Art Contest winners honor love of classics

by Patty Marsters

pattym@lwsb.com

Winners of the Leisure World Library’s Literature Art Contest were announced on April 16 at the conclusion of the public display of entries in Veterans Plaza. LWers were asked to re-create a scene or pay tribute to a suggested famous work of fiction using any artistic medium.

A painting of the main characters from “The Hobbit” gazing at the Ring won Susie Ralston of Mutual 15 first place honors. Annette Canale of Mutual 6 used a double knitting technique to create a reversible scarf featuring imagery from “Alice in Wonderland”; her efforts earned her second place. And the prolific Alfredo Martinez of Mutual 9 took third place with his portrait of Frankenstein. All received Visa gift cards as prizes.

Among the 14 official entries wereworksdepicting“TheWizard of Oz,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Old Man and the Sea,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Little Women,” “Gone With the Wind,” “Huckleberry Finn” and “The Call of the Wild” using wood, needlework, paint and felt. The Recreation Committee served as judges for the contest.

“I read ‘The Hobbit’ eons ago, and loved it,” Ralston said. “Then, when the movie came out, I was so enamored by it, it just stuck in my mind. I thought about it from the time I heard about the contest at a GRF meeting, but I just couldn’t come up with an idea for how to paint the story. Then, last week, I was thinking about it and thought, ‘The whole story is about the ring.’ Finally, I came up with how to tell the story, with the major players on the inside, and the dangers and horrors on the edge.”

Ralston said she tried to devote about eight or nine hours a day to her painting. “I still have more worktodoonit,andImightmakea cardboard frame for it,” she added, referencing her award-winning piece for the recent Cool Creations Cardboard Contest.

Canale is a fan of “Alice in Wonderland” who cites several timeless quotes as inspiration. She learned to knit as a child but didn’t really take up the needlecraft until after she’d retired. She said she spent about 200 hours creating her award-winning scarf. “I went to work on it the day the contest was announced,” she said. “It was the first time I did double knitting, so it was several days of practice and rippingoutandwatchingcountless YouTube videos before I understood what to do. Understanding isonething—thencomesdoingit!”

Martinezcreatedthreeseparate works, all of which were on display, but “Frankenstein” was inspired by “the miserable condition that exists on this earth. We all matter— no matter what color we are. Even ‘Frankenstein’ wanted to be human,” he explained.

The first-place winner received $200, and second place got $100. Martinez, who won $50 for thirdplace, said he usually gives extra money to charity. “This time, I give it to my favorite charity—my grandson,” he said.