Los Banos, California, a small town in California considered a crossroad town for most, is also home to a talented artist Justin Vargas, a senior attending Los Banos High School. Vargas, who just started dabbling with painting during COVID, now has a painting selected to hang in Congress.

Mrs. Gallegos, an art teacher for Los Banos High influenced Vargas to enter the competition which lead to his painting being selected in the National Congress of Art.

Vargas is a huge inspiration for many attending our school. ¨It was done on my time; I was painting by myself in the summer.  My inspiration came from Bob Ross. I did it in only 45 minutes,” Vargas said.

According to Vargas, Bob Ross was his inspiration, who is well-known for being a free spirit and very expressive painter who often paints what he visions. For Vargas, he too took a mental image and transformed it into a piece of art, and according to him, he thinks this is his best painting done during his free time. 

He never expected it to be selected by the Congress of Art.  ¨It’s a feeling like no other, one of the greatest moments I will have in my lifetime. The amount of excitement is unbelievable, I am highly honored to have my painting in the Congress Hall of Washington D.C. It was a feeling like no other even if it was through zoom. My most honorable achievement,” Vargas stated.

Without a doubt this is very inspirational for him and he said he is very grateful of this opportunity.  Vargas believes that even through hard times, it is possible to accomplish what may seem impossible.

Vargas has found a hobby that he feels passionate about for the future.  ¨I plan on painting in my free time. It is a hobby that I should not give up on. I plan on building a gallery, hopefully I win more rewards. I do want to enter more competitions. I feel much more confident as a painter now.¨