Sandy High School sophomore Dylan Kenney didn’t expect to earn a medal at the 2014 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. But the resident of Rhododendron did just that, landing a silver medal for his scratch art titled “This is Love.”

“I’m kind of realizing I’m not too shabby at art, so that’s cool,” the 16-year- old Kenney said.

The piece was one of two that Kenney had in the competition after both
earned gold keys at the state level earlier in the year. Seven students overall
earned gold keys from the Sandy High School art program.

Kenney’s silver medal piece features two young men in an embrace, made
from a piece of cardboard with a black layer on top. Kenney scratched off the
black layer, revealing the white underneath to create the image.

The artist noted his interest in art was sparked early in life, as his family made
arts and crafts with him from a young age and encouraged him by getting him
drawing and sketch pads.

“I just did it in my free time,” Kenney said. “I fell in love with it.”

Thanks to his success this year, Kenney received a scholarship opportunity to
attend a month-long program this summer at the Northwest College of Art in
Portland.

Dan Shanklin, art teacher at Sandy High School, noted Kenney was one of
three students in the program to land national silver medals.

“This was our best year ever!” Shanklin wrote in an email. “Most years we are
happy to even get one student with national reconnection.”

Kenney credited Shanklin for his artistic growth over the past year.
“He has taught me so much and I would have never been at this level without
him,” Kenney said.