1st Place: Elsbeth Schuetz, Orange, Calif. 

“The Story Book” by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Meet the Winner

An experienced oil painter as well as a nail artist, Orly ambassador and editorial manicurist Elsbeth Schuetz has always preferred painting people to objects. For her Mini Masterpiece entry, she was drawn to the desire for human connection she saw in the little girl pictured in “The Story Book.” “The little girl expresses so much feeling and thought and seems to speak to many passersby asking ‘Do you have time to read to me?’” says Schuetz. “It’s as if she could see our lost capacity for connection. Her silent invitation to connect is very compelling in today’s age of digital contact.”

To reproduce the art on a nail tip, Schuetz printed out a copy of the painting the size of the nail and placed it next to the nail tip. She marked important points such as the height of the hair, nose, and chin, and then painted what she saw. The key to creating such detailed nail art? “Patience, the right brush, a steady hand, and nooo coffee for me,” she says.

Follow her on Instagram @elsbeth211.

2nd Place: Jacqueline McClement, Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada
“The Desperate Man” by Gustave Courbet

3rd Place: Rebecca Compton, Christianburg, Va.
“Li I” by H.R. Giger

Honorable Mentions

Crystal Hoang, Woodbury, Minn.
“The Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo

Lee Antolini, Somers Point, N.J.
“Maya With Doll” by Pablo Picasso

Kieu Trinh Truong, Friendswood, Texas
“The Great Wave Off Kanagawa” by Hokusai

Joanne Sorbello, Stone Ridge, N.Y.
“Pop Shop Quad III” by Keith Haring

Rebecca Farris, Oakdale, Calif.
“Topaz” by Alphonse Mucha

Other Notable Entries

Lexi Majack, Racine, Wis.
“Sylvette” by Pablo Picasso

Brenley Honeycutt, Erwin, Tenn.
“Le Chat aux Poissons Rouges” by Henri Matisse

Jennifer Guthrie, Claremont, Calif.
“Woman With a Towel” by Edgar Degas

Amy Masters, Dayton, Wyo.
“Ritratto di Pablo Picasso” by Gabriele Donelli

Anastasia Mourouzidou, Athens, Greece
“Child With a Dove” by Pablo Picasso

Sarah Shinohara, Honolulu
“The Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh

Kim Manore, Roy, Utah
“A Creek in Saint Antilles” by Camille Pissarro

Keva M. Tech, Longmont, Colo.
“The Girl With Ribbon Hair” by Roy Lichtenstein

Kristy Homolya, London
“Sunflowers” by Leonid Afremov