13-year-old student wins state art contest

MILTON — Sydnee Robinett painted her favorite superhero for Lindsay Pharo's art class at King Middle School last year. The acrylic painting was of the DC character Wonder Woman and after making a few rounds at local art shows, the painting won the Art in the Capitol contest. For the next year, the 13-year-old's winning entry will hang at the State Capitol in Tallahassee. At the moment, Robinett's painting hangs in Representative Jayer Williamson's office.

“The Art in the Capitol program recognizes the creativity of our 6th-8th grade students from around our state," Williamson said in an email. "Sydnee’s depiction of Wonder Woman is an incredible testament to the talent from our community, in particular. I know her family as well as her teachers and peers from King Middle School are extremely proud to have her represent the Santa Rosa County School District.”

"It took me two weeks to draw it and one week to paint it," Robinett says.

At Pharo's urging, Robinett entered the painting in several local art contests. She received an Honorable Mention from the Escambia County Fair, and won first place at the Greater Gulf Coast Art Festival.

"Then my art teacher submitted it," Robinett said.

Robinett describes the moment when she found out she had won.

"I was on a trip to Louisiana in the car," she said with a kind of bored look that only a 13-year-old girl can muster. "I don't have big reactions," Robinett said. Then she fell asleep she says.

"She just wanted a good grade," said Sarah Robinett, Sydnee's mother. "I didn't even know it was something she did. I'm very proud of her."

"We want to plan a day to go see the painting," Diane Robinett, Sydnee's grandmother said. "She got (the talent) from her mom," Diane said.

She calls her painting technique it the Vincent van Gogh style where she paints in swirls and uses one shade lighter or darker color as she completes the painting.

Sydnee is ready to move on to high school next year and she wants to be a Panther. She likes the art program at Milton and has been talking to art teachers there throughout the year. She also plays the trumpet in band and is looking forward to joining the Mighty Black and Gold Band at Milton High School.

Sydnee professes to be a "grandpa’s girl" and likes to go fishing and hunting with her grandfather, Harold. Despite being a painter now, she wants to make photography her career when she grows up.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: 13-year-old student wins state art contest