The 14-year-old Markham student seems well on his way, based on the winning drawing he submitted to The Catholic Register’s annual Easter drawing contest. Ginanena took the top prize in the Grade 7-8 category with a beautiful depiction of Christ emerging from the tomb to encounter Mary Magdalene.

Lakeisha Angelous Ginanena, winner in the Grade 7-8 category

“I didn’t want to just draw Jesus on the cross or just a simple picture of Him with angels,” said Ginanena, in Grade 8 at San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Elementary School. “I decided to make Jesus’ hair wavy. Then I said why not include Mary Magdalene and, afterwards, I just started putting more and more into it.”

In the Grade 4-6 category, the winner is 10-year-old Clare He, also of Markham, for a moving depiction of the empty tomb that captures a sense of serenity on the first Easter morning. The Grade 5 student used colour effectively as a stark contrast to the open tomb to produce a landscape of hope.

Clare He, winner in the Grade 4-6 category

In the Grade 1-3 category, the winner is Eliza Perreault, age 7, of Arnprior, Ont. The Grade 3 student’s simple but joyful drawing of the Risen Lord perfectly captured the spirit of Easter.

Eliza Perreault. winner in the Grade 1-3 category

Each of the winners will receive a $50 gift certificate for a day at the movies and a certificate from The Catholic Register.

In addition to the three winning drawings, a selection of other entries that caught the judges’ eyes are presented on these two pages. To all who submitted a drawing, thank you and Happy Easter!