Butterflies by Lily Bezdek

Young Redmond artists are getting a chance to show off their work at the Redmond Skate Park. Eight winners of the student art project contest held by the Redmond Committee for Art in Public Places (RCAPP) are painting their designs on a mural this week, with the help and guidance of two artists in residence, Tracy Thille and Kris Cranston.

Thille and Cranston are the artists of “Balance,” a koi fish mural on the front wall of the skate park.

The design of the koi mural came to Thille while she was watching skaters going “around and around … like fish in a bowl.” She included the wave motif because “they’re flipping and they’re zipping around like water and fish.”

Movement was also the theme of the contest, with bright colors encouraged.

Thille and Cranston have incorporated each student design in the mural in a “puzzle piece” style — individual art pieces which reflect how we are each part of the big puzzle, said Cranston.

“We want to have them see their design,” on the 68-foot-long wall, said Cranston, as well as give the student artists tips for future art pieces.

The project is made possible by a $20,000 donation from a local family for use with student art, said Dan Mooney, the chair of RCAPP.

The mural is being painted with acrylics, and will be sealed by the city, said Thille.

“It’s such a great experience for these young kids who have an art interest,” said Cranston, who taught for 25 years in the Redmond School District, and has taught art after retirement.

The students are learning to paint their design with the use of a grid.

Brynn Hyson, 13, said her jellyfish design, inspired by the koi fish, was her first time painting with watercolors and the mural is her first experience with acrylic painting.

Aubrey Zumwalt, 13, tried to make her design look like a skater in movement, with a pattern of bright colors.

Bright colors were key for Lily Bezdek, 13, too, who painted a wolf in blue and green. “I am passionate about animals and nature,” she said. “I never would have guessed they would have chosen mine.”

The city parks department approved a mural for the skate park, with the stipulation it not be graffiti style, said Mooney. Murals are currently not allowed in Redmond except in city parks, which is something the group is working to change.

RCAPP received 29 submissions from 21 students, said Jaclyn Abslag, staff liaison for RCAPP and programs coordinator for the Department of Community Development.

A few they received had to be tossed out because they were graffiti style, said Mooney, though they were “super cool.”

They had hoped to receive more entries, said Mooney, but it was difficult to get the word out with the schools being closed.

The winning designs are by Brynn Hyson, Chloe Knudsen, Aubrey Zumwalt, Lily Bezdek, Jimena Villagrana Romero, Emma Turner, Mariah Ernst and Kira Gregory.

RCAPP is planning a similar contest for student artists to paint a mural at the pump track later in the year, said Mooney. More information will be posted on the RCAPP FaceBook page when available.