He’s still in high school, but Jackson Dupree already has a piece of his artwork on display at the prestigious College for Creative Studies (CCS) in downtown Detroit.

The 14-year-old Oxford resident recently won an honorable mention in the 2017 Southeastern Michigan Region of the Scholastic Art Awards, sponsored by CCS. The competition includes entrants from middle school and high school students in six counties.

“I was super excited,” he said. “All these other people probably entered 10 or 12 pieces (each). I just entered one piece.”

Dupree, a high school freshman at Oakland Christian School in Auburn Hills, was recognized for an ink drawing he created depicting legendary rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Jimi Hendrix. He used a ballpoint pen to draw a variety of shapes that together form the face of the 1960s music icon.

“He’s one of my favorite artists from that time period,” said Dupree, who plays the drums.

Having his work on display at CCS is both “exciting” and “nerve-racking” for Dupree.

“You never know what people are going to say about it,” he explained. “But I’m very happy with the piece and how it turned out.”

“I was very proud,” said Dupree’s mother, Tonya. “He put in one piece and got in. It’s his first year, so it was exciting.”

Dupree has been creating art for as long as he can remember.

“I can imagine anything I want and put it on paper,” he said. “It’s just me expressing myself in my own way.”

He doesn’t limit himself to pens. He also uses acrylic paints and spray paint to bring his visions to life.

Dupree hopes to one day have a career as a professional artist, but he’s also planning to get a degree in education so he can teach the subject.

He would “love” to attend CCS.

“It’s a very good school,” Dupree said. “A lot of big-name artists have come out of that school and I would love to be one of them.”

Dupree had nothing but praise for the art program at Oakland Christian School.

“I love it there,” he said. “The program is amazing.”

No one at the school tries to put any limits on students’ creativity or imagination, he explained. He’s particularly impressed with his art teacher, William Munson.

“He’s the best person I’ve ever met,” Dupree said. “He cares about me. He makes sure I get all the supplies I need. He really cares about all the students he has.”