Sheryl Xie Wins Holiday Card Competition

In December, the Stuyvesant Art Department held its annual Holiday Card Competition to determine the art that would be featured in Principal Seung Yu’s holiday card, which was sent out to all students on December 22. The annual Holiday Card Competition not only gives interested students the chance to express their artistic talents but also fosters a sense of community and festive spirits. This year, sophomore Sheryl Xie won the contest with her oil pastel artwork that depicted a whimsical winter forest, employing various oil pastel colors to create texture and depth.

Xie was eager to participate in the competition due to her personal interest in art as well as the opportunity to have her artwork featured. “I enjoy making art as a hobby, and [...] I thought this competition would be a great opportunity and that it would be cool to see my artwork on Principal Yu’s holiday card,” Xie said.

The nature of the competition was very straightforward, allowing participants to focus on unleashing their creativity without unnecessary complications. “I just had to complete the artwork and submit it to a teacher—either [art teacher Jane] Karp, [art teacher Jeanie] Chu, or [art teacher William] Wrigley—that was responsible for organizing the competition,” Xie said.

In terms of time management and planning, Xie made use of the extended deadline in order to complete her artwork in a timely fashion. “I think there was a long break before the artwork was due, and when I saw the competition, I planned to take advantage of the extra time to work on my submission,” Xie said. 

However, Xie encountered some challenges during the competition with respect to creating the artwork itself. “I usually draw from reference photos, so I found it difficult to find a good reference photo at first,” Xie said. “The artwork also ended up larger than the required size, and I had to cut it down before I submitted it.” 

However, thanks to the creative freedom offered by the competition, Xie appreciated that she was able to create the artwork using oil pastels, her preferred medium. “I liked mixing colors with oil pastels I used, and I found drawing the details to be rewarding,” Xie said. 

In response to whether or not she would recommend the competition to other students, Xie wholeheartedly endorsed it, especially for those who are enthusiastic about art. “I would recommend this to other people that enjoy making art since I thought it was fun to complete my entry and it wasn’t too difficult to make enough time. The competition itself was really simple and easy and it was rewarding to see the results,” Xie said.