When Dylan Tenorio was only 6, he loved to write. He was fascinated by the lines that made up the letters and soon began drawing.

"I doodled around and then I got into (drawing) sunsets and landscapes," said Tenorio, now 17. "Soon, I was drawing realistic landscapes."

Tenorio was recently deemed the winner of U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan's Congressional Art Competition for his pencil drawing titled 1912.

"The grayness makes it look classic," Tenorio said of the realistic piece that depicts New Mexico landscapes, native pottery, a New Mexico state flag and the American flag. The piece, he noted, shows the beauty of the state, references its rich history and "is mainly about the traditions and cultures."

It is named 1912 because that is the year New Mexico became a state, he said, and he wanted to create something that celebrated the upcoming 100-year anniversary of the state and depict its unique beauty.

Lujan had announced the competition a few months ago, calling for young, talented artists to create a piece for New Mexico to display at the nation's Capitol. The annual contest is designed so congress members can showcase the talents of the youngsters in their state.

Tenorio, a member of Kewa Pueblo and a junior at the Santa Fe Indian School, will travel to Washington, D.C., to be honored for his work.

"Congratulations to Dylan for winning the prestigious honor of having his work of art displayed in our nation's Capitol for visitors from across the country to view. I look forward to welcoming him to Washington, D.C. as we honor all of the national winners," Luján said in a news release. "I want to thank all of this year's incredibly gifted contestants for participating in this competition, showcasing the impressive artistic talent of our communities' young people."

Neither Dylan Tenorio nor his mother, Janice Tenorio, have been to Washington, and both are looking forward to the trip, which has not yet been scheduled.

"It's a very great honor to be able to go and see your son's work getting unveiled there," said Janice Tenorio, adding that Dylan Tenorio has shown his artistic talents since a very young age. "He's been drawing for a very, very long time. He's very talented."

Dylan Tenorio specializes in pencil drawings, but he also has worked with graffiti art, which has given him an opportunity to experiment with different colors, he said. He added that now he creates more three-dimensional portraits of people, hands and faces.

Dylan Tenorio has big plans for the future, he said.

"I plan to become a professional artist," he said, adding that he is considering careers in astronomy, music and writing as well.

About winning, Dylan said, "It's a big accomplishment for me because it's one of those moments in your life that you can look back and say, 'I did that.' "

He noted, however, that "the piece is actually for the people of New Mexico."

Contact Ana Maria Trujillo at 986-3084 or atrujillo@sfnewmexican.com.