A 13-year-old Maple Ridge artist is a finalist in a global art competition for a portrait he did of his great uncle.
Declan O’Connell, a Grade 8 student at Westview Secondary in Maple Ridge, drew the portrait after his great uncle passed away in March 2025, after his uncle battled long and hard from a fall in 2024.
Declan was in Grade 4 when he first started drawing and sketching and realized that his favourite medium was charcoal pencil and his favourite subject was animals.
“We realised he was showing some talent and enrolled him in a class at a local art school – Creatio Dei Art Studio in 2023,” explained his mother Jaime O’Connell, noting they have a very large, close-knit family.
So, when they approached Declan to create a tribute drawing of their beloved family member, naturally, the teen was a little hesitant since he had never drawn people before.
But, Declan took on the challenge in honour of his great uncle and set to work on the piece.
He started the piece in May, 2025, and finished it on June 5, the same year, when he was still only 12 years old.
It took him about 10 hours in total to complete.
This particular drawing is 11 inches by 14 inches charcoal pencil on paper.
“Our family was stunned at what Declan produced at just 12 years old. His drawing is very cherished by our family,” said mom.
They decided to enter the portrait into a Canadian art competition called ART COMP.
ART COMP is an annual not-for-profit global art competition open to professional and amateur artists of all ages.
Each year, 100 pieces are selected to be displayed for 100 days in unique and everyday spaces, at 100 Kellogg Lane in London, Ontario.
Declan’s portrait will be one of the pieces that will be on display from the end of May until Thursday, Sept. 24.
The public can vote for their favourite pieces in the competition on the website starting Friday, May 29
ART COMP awards $200,000 CAD in prizes every year, as determined by a panel of judges and public voting.
Declan is hoping to get as many votes as possible and he continues to enjoy drawing and currently works on custom animal portraits by request.
“Any support from our community would be awesome,” said his mother.
To vote for Declan’s portrait go to: https://artcomp.awardsplatform.com/.