It's been a good month for young Víctor Damián Hernández Gonzalez

I met 11-year-old Víctor Damián Hernández Gonzalez on May 10, when he was visiting the Museum of Monterey with his family and  the painting he made of his mother, which was briefly hanging on the museum's stairwell.

Víctor, a student at Roosevelt Elementary in Salinas, has been studying painting with Maestro Jose Ortiz since he was six, so by now he's quite accomplished. I made a note to keep an eye on this talented youngster so I could write about him later.

Well, here's a good opportunity to do it. Víctor was just named one of the winners of a contest sponsored by the Monterey Unified Air Pollution Control District to illustrate a calendar for next year. Víctor earned $100 and the right to have his illustration featured in the agency's 2016 calendar.

Congratulations, Víctor, and Maestro Ortiz for inspiring young people to become artists. You both rock!