“If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint” said 20th century American painter Edward Hopper, this quote helps us understand the need to create.

Junior and artist Astrid Henkle received the Arlington Public Library Purchase Award for her piece entitled “Youth”. Her artwork is part of the library’s permanent collection.

When asked how she felt when she found out she won the award, she responded, “I was actually kinda surprised, I didn’t think I would do that well. It’s pretty cool that people will be able to see my artwork.”

Henkle’s piece was a style where you don’t lift up the pen the whole time you are drawing. When asked why she choose that style, Henkle said “I actually found inspiration online.”  She tried it, liked it, and went with it. She added that, “its kinda messy [at first] but then once it comes together it looks like an image, which is pretty cool.”

The last thing we asked Henkle was what motivates her to create art. She responded with “I really like art [because] it is a great stress reliever.”

Congrats to Astrid Henkle for the Arlington Public Library Purchase Award. Her artwork is truly incredible, it was well deserved.

Go check out Astrid Henkle’s drawing at the Arlington County Public Library at any time.