BELLVILLE — Larry Ramey may be a beginner, but his skill with a paint brush is obvious. The Bellville resident won three ribbons at this year’s Bellville Street Fair Art Show, including a first place in the oil portrait category.

“I just started painting three years ago,” he said. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have won anything.”

The prize-winning portrait depicts a young boy in a fedora with a subtle smirk on his face. Ramey based the painting on a photo of his 12-year-old grandson.

“He’s got a little attitude (in the photo) and it looked like it’d make a good painting,” he said.

Ramey also won second place in the oil landscape and oil floral categories. But he’s not big-headed about it.

“I don’t consider myself an artistic person, but somebody thinks I am I guess,” he said.

His wife, Jodi, is more likely to point out his talents. She says Ramey is an accomplished woodworker who recently made her a pantry, blanket chest and headboard. 

“I’m thrilled to death for him,” she said. “He’s very much an artistic person.”

The art show is one of the many traditions associated with the fair. Works are displayed at the Bellville branch of the Mansfield Richland County Public Library.

Jerry Francl, the operations director at the Mansfield Art Center, returned to judge the competition.

“It’s something I look forward to every year,” he said. “They always have a lot of participation and the artists are very talented.”

Clear Fork freshman Madelynn Palmer won best of show in the middle and high school fine arts division for her painting of a wolf howling at the night sky.

The best of show ribbon for the adult contest went to Doug Shirk for his intarsia woodcarving of a gray owl. Shirk created the piece over the span of two months using four different kinds of wood.

Aliyah Burton of Lexington won her second best of show ribbon in the middle and high school photography contest. The picture shows a friend of Burton’s sitting in a field playing the violin.

“It was very well composed, capturing the right time of day, right lighting,” said Francl.

Burton’s favorite thing about the portrait is the memory it evokes.

“It was such a real moment,” she said. “She was playing this sweet melody and we were just sitting outside at this park watching the sunset. And when I see that picture now, that’s were it takes me.” 

A clear fan favorite was the adult amateur best of show winner, a snapshot of a pouting baby taken by Andrea Papot.

“It was so candid and so well done,” said Francl. “It captured the personality of the baby and the joy of life.

Zack Cole won best of show in the professional photography division.