Kick-off 2025 Winners – Ages 8-14
Contestants Answered This Prompt:
Imagine yourself living on a ranch in the 1880s. What would you spend your time doing? Lassoing? Riding a horse? Watching a sunrise or sunset? Or? Use your imagination to write an original piece about your favorite place on the ranch or a favorite ranch activity in less than 500 words, or create a short poem. Or you may create an original piece of artwork about your favorite place or favorite activity.
⭐ Gold: Ella Asire ⭐
I made a stained glass mosaic depicting what my favorite thing to do would be if I lived on a ranch in the 1880s: riding.
🥈 Silver: Calah Keup🥈
Majestic mountains, gray and tall, Favorite horse, the best of all, Heart thuds, hooves pound, This is how I like to get around!
🥉 Bronze: Olivia Dempsey🥉
Kelly dreams of winning a derby and becoming amazing at riding horses. Her horse, on the other hand, has other plans.
Explore all of the fun entries by clicking this link.
Enter the Art Gallery ➡️
Summer 2024 Winners – Ages 8-12
Character 8-12
Joyce Vecchio, “Andi & Taffy”
Animals 8-12
Samantha Meiers, “Shasta, Age 1”
Setting 8-12
Titus Santoro, “Circle C Wind Pump”
Summer 2024 Winners – Ages 13-17
Character 13-17
Bella Kohlstedt, “Andi & Taffy”
Animals 13-17
Abby Bochnicek, “Midnight”
Setting 13-17
Olivia Miera, “Sailing ship Surprise“
The Art Gallery
Enter the galleries by clicking the age group you would like to explore.
Ages 8-12 Entries ➡️
Ages 13-17 Entries ➡️
Details About the Art Contest
Entry Categories
Characters
You may create any character (or group of characters) from the Circle C or Goldtown series. They can be any age that is portrayed in the books. You may create a portrait or put the character(s) in a scene. You must indicate which character(s) you chose when you send in your entry. Click the buttons to see what the Circle C and Goldtown characters look like. (If they are not pictured, you can still portray them.)
Horses/Animals
You may create any horse (or other animal) from the Circle C or Goldtown series. For example, Chad’s horse is a buckskin, so you need to portray the horse as a buckskin if you enter it as “Sky, Chad’s horse.” The same holds true for the other animals, like “Canary” or “Nugget” from Goldtown. Click to see the animals. (If they are not pictured, you can still portray them.)
Settings
You may portray any scene described in any of the books, i.e. Circle C or Coulter ranch, Goldtown, the mine, the stamp mill, etc. You must include which setting/scene you created, and which book it is from. For example, if you draw the mine from Tunnel of Gold, you must include “the Midas mine from Tunnel of Gold.” Click the buttons to see scenes from the Circle C and Goldtown series.
5. Prize Packages
Six prize packages will be awarded to six winners. One winner from each category (characters, horses/animals, settings) for ages 8-12, and one winner from each category for ages 13-17.
This prize package is just the thing for an up-and-coming artist. Enjoy listening to your favorite Circle C or Goldtown audiobook series, and sip a refreshing drink from a 16-ounce travel tumbler while you create your masterpieces. Winners receive both prizes!
- Circle C Beginnings
- Circle C Stepping Stones
- Circle C Adventures
- Circle C Milestones
- Goldtown Beginnings
- Goldtown Adventures
Each 16-ounce, heavy duty tumbler comes with three interchangeable inserts. Four different tumblers to choose from.
- Circle C Beginnings
- Circle C Stepping Stones
- Circle C Adventures/Milestones
- Goldtown Beginnings/Adventures
This is going to be so fun!
Can children younger than eight enter if they want to?
Sure…. But their work will be judged alongside all those up to age 12. 😉
This looks so fun! 😀
I have a reader wondering if Inky, Jasper or the lamb Sadie traded with Andi (for a cat) are eligible to be drawn for the animals category? We didn’t see them in the animal options at the link.
Any animal you read about in the books is fine! I just can’t put them all up there in pictures. I updated the Art page to clarify this. 😉
Can it be of Andi and Taffy or no?
Yes!
But you would need to decide which category you want to submit it to.
Characters or Animals.
Is this open to Canada as well?
Yes, but if you win, the audiobooks would be sent digitally, and I could not send the tumbler. 😉
this looks so fun! I always love it when there’s different kinds of contests!
It’s might be reader’s choice? I didn’t know you can read art!
Ha ha. I think everyone knows that “reader” means those who read the blog. 🤪
Can I do a drawing of Andi and Taffy?
Absolutely.
Thanks
Hey, so I had a question, it might be stupid, but why do you have an age limit on the fan-fic and stuff like that? I’m just curious!
Where does it say I have an age limit for fan fiction? I’m looking at the page now and it doesn’t say anything about an age limit.
oops! I musta thought because you have and age limit on the writing contest that you had an age limit of fan-fic! So, sorry! 🤦🏼♀️
Also, can’t wait to see you at the Ocean conference tomorrow!!
Yep! On the road!
As someone who is bad at drawing, what qualifies for this contest? Could I sculpt something with clay? Crochet an Andi doll (or even do the whole family)? What “counts,” and if I were to do something three-dimensional do you have an idea of generally how many pictures you’d want (front, side, back, etc.)?
Hopefully that makes some sense!
Sage N.
Clay modeling would work as a medium, but not the crocheting. That’s more crafty than artsy….
If I drew a picture of a character and an animal (for example, Andi and Taffy) which category would it be in?
You would have to decide which category you want. You could not submit to both.
Hi Mrs. M,
I think I understood correctly but I just wanted to make sure. I can only enter one piece of art total -not one per category right?
That’s right
Dose “marking pen” refer to markers? Thanks!
Sure… 👍
Thank You!
Do you know how old Shasta lived to be?
No! I have not thought that far ahead
Random question here…
Would it be possible for international winners to receive a Amazon giftcard? I believe I remember you did offer it to international winners for the orphan writing contest a few years ago and I was just wondering if that would still be possible
since the prize is audiobook series and it can be sent digitally, there is no reason to offer a random gift card for that much money! The audiobook series is worth up to about $80 (milestones) and I can’t afford to just give someone $80
. Sorry!
yes, that would be cool! I am also international and would love if you offered that as a prize!
-Luca B.
See my reply above to Anonymous. 😉
What if you recently turned 18?
How recent?
A few months. I was just wondering because i know you said you could if you were younger. Just wondering if there was a chance for older kids.
The reason that younger kids can enter is because they have to compete with older kids in the 8-12 group. But an adult competing with younger children in the 13-17 group just doesn’t sound quite fair.
okay! Thank you!
Hi! This is so fun! How many entries have you gotten so far?
Not very many. Two or three in each category.
Really?! I had thought you would have a bunch of entries! But… maybe most people have just put it off till the last two weeks 😋.
Just like the writing contests. I get flooded the last two DAYS, not the last two weeks. Sigh.
And I need 8 entries in each category to even run the chest
contest, not chest
Well, I hope you get a flood of entries in the next week or so! I am trying to convince my other sisters to enter but they are not really into art.
have you gotten more entries Mrs M?
A few
Hello, Mrs. Marlow!! Thank you so much for putting this contest on!
Two quick questions: May I use a copying machine to make a copy of my drawing so it shows up better in the picture?
Also, may I help a younger sibling with their art? If so, to what extent?
Thank you again so much!
I’m fine with you using a copy machine to get a better image.
I’m afraid all contestants must create their own artwork without help from an older sibling. You can give feedback, like . . . “The horse’s head looks way too big,” or something like that, but no other kind of “help.”
Totally understand. Thank you for the confirmation! How many entries are in each age category?
what did you decide on for the judging?
You’ll find out when the contest ends.
Hi, can my little sibling use another picture to trace something onto his drawing?
It would be better to use the other picture and copy it as their own rather than trace. I have a few entries that have looked at a book cover and tried to duplicate it as best they can.
when will you be announcing the winners?
Hopefully I’ll have the finalists by Monday or Tuesday. Then it will be up to you guys to vote for the winners
Will the links to the art entries go live today? That’s what the post says…that the links will go live the day after the contest ends…today. Just wonderin’!
I changed my mind and will post the Art Gallery after the winners are announced. In case you did not notice, I took that part off for now.
Did you get enough entries in all the categories?
Yes, in all but one
Well – that’s pretty good! Too bad about that one category though!
is this contest still going
No. It ended yesterday
which category didn’t get enough entries?
Did you have to combine categories?
No, I did not combine. That’s not possible since the categories are different
I’m supposed to be able to click on the age category and view the art images, right? Because I tried to click it and it didnt do anything. Is it not set up yet?
The date is there
Sorry, I just saw it opens on the 30th! (i wrote the above comment.) Oops!
doesn’t voting start today?
When I actually wake up and get to it. Lol
how do you enter
This contest was for the month of May. It’s over.