Enns wins best of show at Kansas State Fair
Staff writer
Letty Enns of Hillsboro entered a portrait of her brother-in-law, Lauren Enns, and sister-in-law, Luetta Enns, in the Marion County Fair this year and won reserve champion.
Following the county fair, Enns entered the portrait in the Kansas State Fair and won best of show.
The award was a surprise. When the painting was on display at the state fair, Enns, her husband, and Lauren and Luetta met at the fairgrounds. With some persuasion, she took them to look at the painting before lunch. They were so pleased and surprised with the portrait, they forgot about eating, according to Enns.
This is the second time Enns has won best of show at the state fair. She has been painting and winning with her art since high school.
Enns took many years off from painting when her family was young. Since she began painting again, she has done portraits of most of her grandchildren, her mother, three portraits of her husband, and a portrait of her sister and brother-in-law for their golden anniversary.
Enns usually paints from a photograph. If the subject looks good in the picture, but she doesn't like the background, she will change it to suit her taste. That's what she did in the blue ribbon portrait of Lauren and Luetta. She likes pictures taken outside in natural light or professional portraits best.
"The flash takes away some of the values," said Enns.
Enns currently is working on a portrait of her daughters. She is using some current photos and some photos taken when the girls were little to create a work titled "How fast they grow up."
In the future, Enns plans to do a portrait of her father. She says the portrait would be a nice remembrance of him.
Enns has work on display and for sale at Hillsboro Furniture, and she also does commission work, but not portraits.
"I haven't been brave enough to paint portraits for other people yet," she said.
