True Passion For Detail: Danville Student Excels In Art

DANVILLE, CA — Artistic intuition has been a part of Menglin Cai for a long time. The sophomore at Monte Vista High School describes art as her "best friend."

“Since I was one year old, I loved to draw on the walls. You would see every wall in my house was occupied by my drawings,” she said.

The winner of the 2022 Congressional Art Competition for California's 11th District, Cai thinks attention to detail helped her achieve victory.

“I always push myself to take on better challenges.” she said. “Therefore, I decided to draw a painting with a tremendous amount of details and it requires a lot of focus in order for me to complete it.”

Cai's watercolor painting "Growing Up" illustrates plateaus from northwest China, she said. She describes the natural conditions there as some of the worst in the country. For inspiration on her submission, Cai focused on a picture of a girl in the area.

“When I first looked at this picture, I was drawn by the look of the girl’s eye,” she said. “It was the same eyes that I have — eyes full of confusion, hope and wonders of the future.”

Other submissions included 23 pieces from across the district. The No. 1 pick, “Growing Up,” will be on display in the United States Capitol.

“I always know that I have the capability to win this award because I have been working hard to improve my skills for as long as I have lived,” Cai said. “I am happy to see that people are appreciating my art, and I will continue to improve myself and draw better paintings for people to appreciate.”