Hey Coyotes! We’re back with our May artist of the month. This month, we’re featuring Samantha Hernandez, a 17-year-old senior. She was recently awarded 3rd in the Congressional Art Show for her piece, “Welcome Home.” As My Little Pony once said, “For the moments that don’t seem like anything, but they’re everything.” This painting depicts a picture of a mother hugging her son while the son is in a Marines uniform. Hernandez made this artwork as a surprise for her aunt, as her son recently came back from serving in the Marines.

“I was really thankful that I won, so I can show my aunt,” Hernandez said. “She didn’t know at the beginning, so when they called up my name, she saw the painting and was so amazed. It felt great to see her so happy and I’m happy that she liked it.” 

Unlike other artwork pieces she has worked on, the motherly love of this painting is what makes it her favorite to date. This painting also represents her ability to convey deep emotions to her audience. 

“Art is my life and means everything. The moment I picked up the first pencil to draw, I fell in love with it. It helped me a lot through all my ups and downs,” she said.