TALENTED Naomi Sykes has reached the final of an international artists' competition. Naomi, 13, of Highburton, entered three paintings into the Artist and Young Artist of the year contest, run by the Society For All Artists.
Two of them beat off competition from 3,000 entries from 40 countries and made it into the final.
They will be on display from tomorrow until Monday at the Artists' and Illustrators' Exhibition in the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, with a selection of work from the other 25 finalists.
Naomi's father, Neil, and mother Bronwen, both 42, are travelling with her to London on Saturday for the judging.
Mr Sykes said Naomi had been painting since she was a toddler. She goes to the weekly White Rose art group at Burton Community Centre, Highburton.
Naomi also excels in art at school. She has just left Kirkburton Middle School and is due to start at Shelley High in September.
She attends painting sessions every Thursday with Kirkburton artist Trevor Fawcett, who entered her in the contest.
Mr Sykes said: "It is her first major competition. She found she was pretty good at it, but she just does it for fun, as a hobby.
"We don't know where she gets it from. We are proud of her."
The prize for Artist of the Year will be £1,000 worth of art materials. The artist will be chosen from the winners of five subject categories.
The winner of each receives £100 of art materials, as do the artists chosen as best professional, best amateur, best beginner, best over 60, best under 25 and best aged 11 to 16.
