Deep Thought

Tiffany Vargas is the winner of the 2015 Teen Portrait Competition. Read more about what her portrait Deep Thought means to her. 

My piece, Deep Thought, serves as a reflection of my personality. The simplicity of pose and composition signify the more shy, quiet qualities of myself as an individual. From the nature of the reference photo to the softness of the blended charcoal and the subtle highlights added at the very end of my illustrating process, every bit of the portrait depicts a tranquil sense of thoughtfulness. With the pensiveness of my smile and eyes in this piece, I hope to elicit equally contemplative emotions within those who view it. My favorite part about it is that it is a mystery to the audience what exactly is being thought about—this way, my thoughts are completely open to interpretation. I hope that with this portrait, I am able to evoke curiosity and spur conversation.

You can see Tiffany Vargas’s drawing this Saturday, March 12, outside of “The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today” exhibition. Below is a full list of Teen Portrait Competition winners: 

Grand Prize: Tiffany Vargas, Deep Thought
Winner of Painting and Drawing: Rebecca Siqueiros, Contentment
Winner of Photography: Alisha Solaiman, Crossed
Winner of Video: Ashley March, Who I am: Ashley Marsh

Honorable Mention, Ages 13–15
Katherine Chui, Self Portrait Diptych
Joseph Edwards, Barber
Kendall Matsumoto, The Beauty We Hold
Celia Jairala, Michelle
Lauren Krashoff, Making me Laugh

Honorable Mention, Ages 16–17
Chloe Akazawa, Happy Birthday
Jake Rotta, Prepare for Unforeseen Consequences 
Ka Wai Lai, Subtle Composure
Meredith Livingston, Caring
Adam Kozloski, School and Stress