From the age of 2, Barry Carter hasn’t been able to put a paint brush down.

“He would paint nonstop,” said Robin, Barry’s mother. “He would get up before school and ask to draw. We were just mesmerized.”

In fact he was so prolific, that throughout elementary school his teachers told his mother he would draw all over his assignments.

At left, Carter is seen surrounded by his work at DaVinci's Artists Gallery in Tomball. Photo by Holly Dutton.

“They’ve learned to understand it and know he’s just different,” Robin said.

At only 15, Carter, a sophomore at Magnolia West High School, has made a name for himself as an artist locally and nationwide.

He has won dozens of awards and scholarships since he was in kindergarten, including being awarded by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) art contest every year since fourth grade.

Most recently, Congressman Kevin Brady selected his winning HLSR painting “A Watchful Eye,” for the Congressional Art Contest held in Washington D.C., a nationwide high school art competition sponsored by members of Congress.

That painting won him Reserve Class Champion in painting at the 2010 HLSR Works of Art Auction, where it sold for $35,000.

For Carter, artistic talent runs in the family.

His grandfather, who he didn’t get to know until the age of 9, is also an artist. Once the two came into each other’s lives, they discovered a bond through art and began sending artwork back and forth to one another.

“He’s been a big part of his career,” Robin said.

From an early age, his parents set money aside for him to have professional lessons and to encourage his talent. They also impressed upon him the importance of using his gift to give back to the community.

“We told him a long time ago, your gift is from God, you need to use it. He’s always given back,” she said.

As well as being involved with the Society of Samaritans, Carter painted a rainforest mural on a wall at Magnolia Junior High as he prepared to go on to high school.

At 10, he painted a deep sea mural for a pre-K Sunday school class at his church.

But Carter is not your average artist – he’s also a member of his high school football team, where he plays center, a sport he’s played since third grade.

“I used to be known as ‘the artist’ then it was ‘football player’ and now it’s both,” he said.

Carter, who is soft-spoken and humble when talking about his talent, does most of his work on a granite kitchen counter at home, where he spends hours making oil and acrylic paintings, his main medium.

“I like it, it’s my passion. When I need to get stuff off my mind, I draw, I paint,” he said.

He estimates that on average, he spends about 20 hours on a painting. The quickest he has finished a painting took him about six hours, he said.

Common themes in his paintings are portraits and Native Americans.

“I like to have an interesting subject like with wrinkles, or a beard,” he said. “Basically I just find an interesting face with lots of character.”

The painting he is most proud of and which he considers his best work is his HLSR winning painting, “A Watchful Eye.”

He credits his mother as his biggest mentor and supporter.

“My mom helps me through everything. She pushes me to do my best, helps me with shows, galleries and she always critiques my work. She’s kind of like my agent,” he said.

Carter said he plans to attend college after high school, but isn’t sure yet where he wants to go, although art will definitely be a part of it.

A show exhibiting some of his most recent paintings will be held Friday, May 7 at Da Vinci Artists Gallery on Main Street in Tomball. Admission to the event is free and guests will be able to meet Carter during the evening. For more information, call 281-433-0958.

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