Napa Art Teacher's Design Selected For New California License Plate

NAPA- A Napa school teacher’s design has been selected for a specialized California license plate that benefits restoring and preserving state parks.

Wyn Ericson’s design depicts the state’s official tree, the California redwood.

It was selected by State Parks, Save the Redwoods League and the California Natural Resources Agency from 27 entries in a statewide contest.

The winning license plate may be seen at parksplate.parks.ca.gov.

State Parks Director Lisa Mangat and Parks Ranger Darin Conner will congratulate Ericson Friday morning at River Middle School and share with students the importance of protecting wild spaces.

Ericson, 35, of Napa, has been teaching art for 12 years and currently teaches at the River Middle School. He specializes in oil, acrylic and watercolor painting.

“A friend texted me and said my natural landscape art would be a good fit,” Ericson said. It’s also in keeping with his advice to his students to keep the art layout simple, he said.

The winning entry was based on creativity, inspiration, legibility and uniqueness that best captured a California redwood or sequoia tree.

Ericson said his inspiration for the design came from his father Thor, also an artist who enjoyed painting trees, and their camping trips in forests along the California Coast. He said he learned in November that his design was selected for the specialized State Parks plate.

As of today, 203 people have ordered the specialized “ParksPLATE” from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The cost is $50 and $98 for a personalized plate.

There must be 7,500 pre-paid orders with the DMV before the plate is produced.

Proceeds from the sale and annual renewal of the specialized ParksPLATE will fund restoration and preservation of California’s state parks.

-By Bay City News