<p><strong>2nd Place</strong><br />Phuong Kim Le, Hamburg, N.J. <br /><em>&ldquo;Son of Man&rdquo; by Rene Magritte</em></p>

2nd Place
Phuong Kim Le, Hamburg, N.J.
“Son of Man” by Rene Magritte

<p><strong>3rd Place (tie)</strong><br />Vickie Chilla, Eustis, Fla.<br /><em>&ldquo;Hommage to Grohmann&rdquo; by Wassily Kandinsky</em></p>

3rd Place (tie)
Vickie Chilla, Eustis, Fla.
“Hommage to Grohmann” by Wassily Kandinsky

<p><strong>3rd Place (tie)</strong><br />Michelle Whitaker, Rolla, Mo. <br /><em>&ldquo;Starry Night&rdquo; by Vincent Van Gogh</em></p>

3rd Place (tie)
Michelle Whitaker, Rolla, Mo.
“Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh

<p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p>
<p>Aria Justice, Enid, Okla.<br /><em>&ldquo;The Weeping Woman&rdquo; by Pablo Picasso</em><br /><br /></p>

Honorable Mention

Aria Justice, Enid, Okla.
“The Weeping Woman” by Pablo Picasso

<p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p>
<p>Phuong Kim Le, Hamburg, N.J. <br /><em>&ldquo;The Dream&rdquo; by Pablo Picasso</em></p>

Honorable Mention

Phuong Kim Le, Hamburg, N.J.
“The Dream” by Pablo Picasso

<p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p>
<p>Amber Dunson, Shreveport, La. <br /><em>&ldquo;My Baby Made a Clown of Me (Big Top Dog)&rdquo; by George Rodrigue</em><br /><br /></p>

Honorable Mention

Amber Dunson, Shreveport, La.
“My Baby Made a Clown of Me (Big Top Dog)” by George Rodrigue

<p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p>
<p>Sarah Petersen, Rolla, Mont.<br /><em>&ldquo;Woman With a Parasol&rdquo; by Claude Monet</em></p>

Honorable Mention

Sarah Petersen, Rolla, Mont.
“Woman With a Parasol” by Claude Monet

<p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p>
<p>Heather Temple, Mt. Lebanon, Pa.<br /><em>&ldquo;Lincoln for the Defense&rdquo; by Norman Rockwell</em><br /><br /></p>

Honorable Mention

Heather Temple, Mt. Lebanon, Pa.
“Lincoln for the Defense” by Norman Rockwell

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Autumn Woods, Enid, Okla.<br /><em>&ldquo;The Desperate Man&rdquo; by Gustave Courbet</em></p>

Notable Entry

Autumn Woods, Enid, Okla.
“The Desperate Man” by Gustave Courbet

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Patricia Bodine, Versailles, Ky. <br /><em>&ldquo;The Birth of Venus&rdquo; by Sandro Botticelli</em></p>

Notable Entry

Patricia Bodine, Versailles, Ky.
“The Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Tamecia Moore, Jacksonville, Fla.<br /><em>&ldquo;The Persistence of Memory&rdquo; by Salvador Dali</em> <br /><br /></p>

Notable Entry

Tamecia Moore, Jacksonville, Fla.
“The Persistence of Memory” by Salvador Dali

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Emily Hansen, Davenport, Iowa<br /><em>&ldquo;San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk&rdquo; by Claude Monet</em></p>

Notable Entry

Emily Hansen, Davenport, Iowa
“San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk” by Claude Monet

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Merilee Vados, Blaine, Minn.<br /><em>&ldquo;Girl With a Pearl Earring&rdquo; by Johannes Vermeer</em></p>

Notable Entry

Merilee Vados, Blaine, Minn.
“Girl With a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Ashley Loveridge, Lords Valley, Pa.<br /><em>&ldquo;Just Peachy&rdquo; by June Dudley</em></p>

Notable Entry

Ashley Loveridge, Lords Valley, Pa.
“Just Peachy” by June Dudley

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Jamie Valentine-Hess, Greencastle, Pa.<br /><em>&ldquo;The Singing Fish&rdquo;&nbsp; by Joan Miro</em></p>

Notable Entry

Jamie Valentine-Hess, Greencastle, Pa.
“The Singing Fish”  by Joan Miro

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Vickie Chilla, Eustis, Fla.<br /><em>&ldquo;Young Brunette&rdquo; by Amedeo Modigliani&nbsp;</em></p>

Notable Entry

Vickie Chilla, Eustis, Fla.
“Young Brunette” by Amedeo Modigliani 

1/16
 
View all
<p><strong>2nd Place</strong><br />Phuong Kim Le, Hamburg, N.J. <br /><em>&ldquo;Son of Man&rdquo; by Rene Magritte</em></p>
1/16
 
Slider

2nd Place
Phuong Kim Le, Hamburg, N.J.
“Son of Man” by Rene Magritte

<p><strong>3rd Place (tie)</strong><br />Vickie Chilla, Eustis, Fla.<br /><em>&ldquo;Hommage to Grohmann&rdquo; by Wassily Kandinsky</em></p>
2/16
 
Slider

3rd Place (tie)
Vickie Chilla, Eustis, Fla.
“Hommage to Grohmann” by Wassily Kandinsky

<p><strong>3rd Place (tie)</strong><br />Michelle Whitaker, Rolla, Mo. <br /><em>&ldquo;Starry Night&rdquo; by Vincent Van Gogh</em></p>
3/16
 
Slider

3rd Place (tie)
Michelle Whitaker, Rolla, Mo.
“Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh

<p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p>
<p>Aria Justice, Enid, Okla.<br /><em>&ldquo;The Weeping Woman&rdquo; by Pablo Picasso</em><br /><br /></p>
4/16
 
Slider

Honorable Mention

Aria Justice, Enid, Okla.
“The Weeping Woman” by Pablo Picasso

<p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p>
<p>Phuong Kim Le, Hamburg, N.J. <br /><em>&ldquo;The Dream&rdquo; by Pablo Picasso</em></p>
5/16
 
Slider

Honorable Mention

Phuong Kim Le, Hamburg, N.J.
“The Dream” by Pablo Picasso

<p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p>
<p>Amber Dunson, Shreveport, La. <br /><em>&ldquo;My Baby Made a Clown of Me (Big Top Dog)&rdquo; by George Rodrigue</em><br /><br /></p>
6/16
 
Slider

Honorable Mention

Amber Dunson, Shreveport, La.
“My Baby Made a Clown of Me (Big Top Dog)” by George Rodrigue

<p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p>
<p>Sarah Petersen, Rolla, Mont.<br /><em>&ldquo;Woman With a Parasol&rdquo; by Claude Monet</em></p>
7/16
 
Slider

Honorable Mention

Sarah Petersen, Rolla, Mont.
“Woman With a Parasol” by Claude Monet

<p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p>
<p>Heather Temple, Mt. Lebanon, Pa.<br /><em>&ldquo;Lincoln for the Defense&rdquo; by Norman Rockwell</em><br /><br /></p>
8/16
 
Slider

Honorable Mention

Heather Temple, Mt. Lebanon, Pa.
“Lincoln for the Defense” by Norman Rockwell

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Autumn Woods, Enid, Okla.<br /><em>&ldquo;The Desperate Man&rdquo; by Gustave Courbet</em></p>
9/16
 
Slider

Notable Entry

Autumn Woods, Enid, Okla.
“The Desperate Man” by Gustave Courbet

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Patricia Bodine, Versailles, Ky. <br /><em>&ldquo;The Birth of Venus&rdquo; by Sandro Botticelli</em></p>
10/16
 
Slider

Notable Entry

Patricia Bodine, Versailles, Ky.
“The Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Tamecia Moore, Jacksonville, Fla.<br /><em>&ldquo;The Persistence of Memory&rdquo; by Salvador Dali</em> <br /><br /></p>
11/16
 
Slider

Notable Entry

Tamecia Moore, Jacksonville, Fla.
“The Persistence of Memory” by Salvador Dali

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Emily Hansen, Davenport, Iowa<br /><em>&ldquo;San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk&rdquo; by Claude Monet</em></p>
12/16
 
Slider

Notable Entry

Emily Hansen, Davenport, Iowa
“San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk” by Claude Monet

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Merilee Vados, Blaine, Minn.<br /><em>&ldquo;Girl With a Pearl Earring&rdquo; by Johannes Vermeer</em></p>
13/16
 
Slider

Notable Entry

Merilee Vados, Blaine, Minn.
“Girl With a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Ashley Loveridge, Lords Valley, Pa.<br /><em>&ldquo;Just Peachy&rdquo; by June Dudley</em></p>
14/16
 
Slider

Notable Entry

Ashley Loveridge, Lords Valley, Pa.
“Just Peachy” by June Dudley

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Jamie Valentine-Hess, Greencastle, Pa.<br /><em>&ldquo;The Singing Fish&rdquo;&nbsp; by Joan Miro</em></p>
15/16
 
Slider

Notable Entry

Jamie Valentine-Hess, Greencastle, Pa.
“The Singing Fish”  by Joan Miro

<p><strong>Notable Entry</strong></p>
<p>Vickie Chilla, Eustis, Fla.<br /><em>&ldquo;Young Brunette&rdquo; by Amedeo Modigliani&nbsp;</em></p>
16/16
 
Slider

Notable Entry

Vickie Chilla, Eustis, Fla.
“Young Brunette” by Amedeo Modigliani 

Meet the Winner: Jane Weiner

Apparently, it’s all in the genes. Jane Weiner, a nail tech at Gloss Salon in Asbury Park, N.J., won this year’s competition handily, despite having no formal art training. “Almost all of my family members are fine artists of some type. I definitely learned a lot from all of them,” says Weiner, who spent about three hours completing Lichtenstein’s “Kiss V.”

“I actually did four other Lichtenstein paintings on tips prior to this one so I could get his style down before taking on ‘Kiss V,’ which was the painting I really wanted to do,” she says. “The hardest part was the dots. They took me about half an hour in total, and I had to take a lot of breaks. I used a short nail art brush that I modified by cutting off most of the bristles to make a very short, small surface that was more flexible than a toothpick or a dotting tool. After I picked up paint, I would tap off on a paper towel several times to avoid getting too many large dots on the finished piece.”

Weiner — who has been doing nails for about year — keeps examples of her nail art in frames right next to her station, inspiring clients who may not have previously thought about nail art to get an accent nail or two. “Nail art is definitely a true fine art form, and I love being a ‘miniature’ part of the art world,” she says.

This gallery shows you Weiner's winning nail, as well as those of NAILS' other finalists.

You Might Also Like

2013 Mural Contest: Something to Squawk About

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.