Glenbard South senior's painting nets honors in contest
Tommy Hirsch was resigned to his fate.
Goldie, his beloved bovine creation was a beauty, but clearly failed to impress.
Winners from the national art contest in which the painting was entered were supposed to be announced last month. But Tommy had heard nothing -- for the second year in a row.
All that changed Friday afternoon when a stranger holding a ginormous check for $1,000 showed up in his art class at Glenbard South High School.
Tommy won honorable mention -- and $1,000 -- in the Lucerne Art of Dairy contest for his patriotic portrayal of cows throughout history on a life-size replica of the aforementioned milk-producer.
"The photographers came in and I got all excited," he recalled. "Then they said it's for the art show, and I thought 'Oh, OK.'"
Yeah, those tricky adults. They were just faking him out.
Seconds after their reassurances the photographers weren't for him, Melissa Robbins from Safeway walked in with his bigger-than-life-size check.
Needless to say, "I was surprised," he said.
Only 30 students nationwide were selected to participate in the contest, and Tommy was the first student ever chosen to compete twice.
The first year he experimented with pencils, drawing Noah's Ark with departing animals, including a pair of cows. It ended up featured in advertisements, but didn't claim a prize.
After scrutinizing which cows did grab the brass ring, the 18-year-old senior changed his approach. He moved to paint for the brilliant color and switched to a more bovine-heavy and patriotic theme.
Both his cows affectionately were named after his grandmothers, Wanda and Goldie.
Goldie, this year's winner, featured Betsy Ross, ala cow, on one side sewing the nation's first flag, while Francis Scott Key is sitting in a boat on the opposite side writing "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Tommy's prize money is ear-marked for college next year -- he's heading to Montserrat College of Art in Massachusetts where he plans to major in drawing and possibly photography.