A snippet from a book of love spells calls for a “a hand-mirror to draw down the moon.” A tiny man drowns beneath a diminutive Space Needle. A singed ring of newspapers frames a woman seen in profile.

All are images woven into “Folds in Darkness,” an award-winning watercolor collage by Bainbridge High School junior Juliana Berry, on view at Bainbridge public library this month with other winning works from the student art contest held at the November Arts Walk.

Berry says the piece is her favorite of all the paintings she has done.

“I put it together really fast, but I’ve been thinking about it for a long time,” she said. “‘Folds in Darkness’ is the darkness folding in. When things are overwhelming.”

Berry, who calls herself a “visual learner,” has been making art since kindergarten.

She has taken park district art classes and, for the last several years, has set up her easel at island artist Claudia McKinstry’s north island studio, where McKinstry mentors emerging artists.

“I never stopped painting,” Berry said, “except maybe in seventh grade I took a couple of months off.”

Berry used to be inclined toward realistic renderings, working from photographs. Now, however, she has come to view reality as the point of departure.

“Only recently (have) I started doing more than just copying a picture,” she said. “I got fairly good at copying, but I’ve been trying to put meaning into it. So I do fewer pieces, because it’s harder.”

And riskier, because making work with a personal statement means putting something out into the world that reflects her interior life.

“Now that they’re meaning something to me, I’m afraid that people won’t like them,” she said, “or that they won’t understand them.”

Berry is willing to take other risks, as well, including finding her direction while she makes a piece, rather than planning the outcome in advance.

But she has a clear vision of her own direction, as she moves toward becoming a professional artist.

“That’s what I’m going to do,” she said. “I honestly don’t see myself doing anything else.”

She will study art next summer at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence.

For winning “Best in Show,” Berry received a cash prize and certificates donated by island businesses, including a tennis clinic, tickets to theater and movies, a gift certificate for knitting supplies and a “surprise package” of art and craft items. 

Of equal importance to the emerging artist may be the validation of her work which the show afforded her.

“I was so nervous bringing (the collage) in there,” she said, “and it’s really encouraging to win.

“That felt so good – and I plan to take full advantage of those gift certificates.”

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Award-winning art from the third annual Bainbridge Island Student Art Contest is on display at the Bainbridge public library through the month.

The contest was held as part of the Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities Council’s November Arts Walk, organized by Dinah Satterwhite.

A complete list of winners and contest details can be found at www.artshum.org.