Art Contests

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.)

CIRCLE C CHARACTERS ➡️
GOLDTOWN CHARACTERS ➡️

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.)

CIRCLE C HORSES ➡️
OTHER RANCH ANIMALS ➡️
GOLDTOWN ANIMALS ➡️

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.

CIRCLE C SETTINGS ➡️
GOLDTOWN SETTINGS ➡️

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!

  1. Circle C Beginnings
  2. Circle C Stepping Stones
  3. Circle C Adventures
  4. Circle C Milestones
  5. Goldtown Beginnings
  6. Goldtown Adventures

Each 16-ounce, heavy duty tumbler comes with three interchangeable inserts. Four different tumblers to choose from.

  1. Circle C Beginnings
  2. Circle C Stepping Stones
  3. Circle C Adventures/Milestones
  4. Goldtown Beginnings/Adventures

75 thoughts on “Art Contests”

  4. 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.

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  9. 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!

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      1. 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!!

        Liked by 1 person

  10. 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.

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  11. If I drew a picture of a character and an animal (for example, Andi and Taffy) which category would it be in?

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  12. 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?

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  16. 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

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    1. 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!

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  19. 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.

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    1. 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.

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      1. 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 😋.

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  23. 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.

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  25. 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!

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    1. 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.”

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    1. 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.

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  30. 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’!

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  34. 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?

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