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Davis Journal

Woods Cross senior’s piece wins award of merit at All-State High School Art Show

May 09, 2022 09:56AM ● By Hannah Sandorf Davis

Mylie Derrick has always loved art. The Woods Cross senior was recognized for her talent winning an award of merit at the All-State High School Art Show held at the Springville Museum of Art. The exhibition ran from early February to the end of March. Derrick’s piece is a still life titled Lavender and Lemons featuring a glass vase with a sprig of lavender, a crusty loaf of bread, a dark glass bottle, and lemons. Her piece is a study in texture and reflections, an exploration of how light interacts with different surfaces including glass, fruit skins, flowers, and wood. 

Derrick was able to attend the award ceremony in Springville. She said one of her favorite parts was meeting artists from all across the state. A second celebration was held at the Utah State Capitol with Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson. “It felt special to be recognized at that level,” said Derrick.

Derrick became interested in art at a young age because her mom, Courtney Derrick, is a professional artist. “I was always around art and seeing my mom work on different paintings,” she said. “She does landscapes, still lifes, portraits, whatever she wants to or is commissioned to paint.” Derrick grew up experimenting with watercolors, acrylics, and sketching regularly.

Even though her mother’s primary medium is oil paint, Derrick herself did not experiment with oils until she took Nate Hillyard’s class at Woods Cross High School. The first assignment, she said, was a black and white oil painting where students learned to mix brown and blue to make black and paint in shades of gray. After that, they painted another composition using only two complementary colors. These assignments helped prepare her for the next two paintings which were full color oil paintings. 

Derrick’s interest in oil painting has grown quickly with her involvement in an AP Art class and the creation of her own art portfolio. Derrick generally choses to paint realistic subjects like still lifes and landscapes but with her own interpretation. “I like to take something everyday that other people might pass by and make it my own,” she said. “I want to bring my own touch to normal things so that people notice them.”  

As for future plans Derrick is not sure where her path might take her, but she does know she wants it to include art. “I’ve thought about maybe becoming an art therapist or doing something similar,” she said. Currently she has received a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design, but is not sure if she will go just yet. “I might want to stick around and make more connections here before going to a major art school,” she said. Her interest right now is in keeping her options open, learning as much as she can, and finding the place in the art world where she would fit. 

Derrick has another piece being displayed at the Bountiful Davis Art Center for the Davis School District Art Show, this one titled Grandma. It’s a portrait of her grandma through the items her grandma loves, especially her perfume bottles. Derrick received an honorable mention for that painting as well from the BDAC judges. λ