Your Painting Title Their Sacrifice

Your NameSarah Nicholson


MediumColored pencil

Your ProfileHello, my name is Sarah Nicholson! I am an 18 year old freshman at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where I am studying biology. I have been interested in art all my life and have enjoyed taking art classes through high school. Art is a hobby that is both relaxing and exhilarating. It allows us to capture the world around us as well as the world within us, sharing our views in a way words can't capture. This art contest allowed me to challenge myself artistically and use my talents to promote patriotism, honoring the brave men and women who sacrifice themselves everyday for the sake of our country. I am honored to participate and grateful for the opportunity!

The Story Behind Your PaintingPatriotism can be expressed in a variety of ways, and is commonly epitomized by smiling Americans waving their flags in the air, cheeks flushed with pride in their country. While this picture is accurate and encouraging, it fails to capture the complete scope of the American identity. It shows people proudly representing the freedom and democracy that defines our country, yet fails to portray those who fought to earn it. My piece focuses on these brave men and women whose love of their country exceeds their love of themselves, who risk their lives in the front lines for the benefit of others. These soldiers of justice make sacrifices every day for complete strangers like you and me: sacrifices of time, of comfort, of convenience, of life, and of limb. I highlighted this sacrifice by portraying a veteran who has lost his leg in combat, and placed him in front of an American flag as a reminder of what he sacrificed it for. This man is not someone I know, but rather a representation of the thousands of veterans who walk the streets unrecognized every day. I placed my veteran in civilian clothes as a reminder that these men and women continue to carry their burdens years after retiring. The sacrifices they make endure, just like the freedom they have won for you and me through them.