By Mackenzie Bellringer. A FEW weeks ago was the beginning of what could be a great future in art for Year 11 Inglewood High School student Kenneth Marcos.
After art teacher Tim Chadwick got a phone call from Murray Dombroski, asking if he had a student capable of drawing a portrait of professional rugby referee, Taranaki man Paul Honiss, he automatically thought of Kenneth.
Paul has retired from refereeing after being a professional referee for 11 years and holds the record for test matches. He has refereed at 46 tests, the last test match he refereed being France vs the Wallabies at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Murray, a long time friend and mentor to Paul, thought he would honour Paul's achievement by getting a portrait drawn of him from a photo taken before Paul's last test match with the game ball.
Kenneth got to work on the portrait in the April school holidays of this year, working off the small photograph. "At one stage Kenneth screwed up his picture and started again," said Tim.
"He was determined to get it right." Not only was the portrait a secret from Paul, but Kenneth was reluctant on showing it to any one else, keeping it under-wraps until it was finished.
"It's been quite fun," said Kenneth, who drew most of the portrait at home.
"I like anything to do with art, I've grown up with it." Before the finished drawing was unveiled to the principal of Inglewood High School, Angela Gattung, Paul and Murray, Paul presented Kenneth with a gift, a Works Infrastructure alternative refereeing shirt, which Kenneth gratefully received.
Paul was very happy with the portrait and plans to display it in his office at home or in the office at EDI Works, where he's started a new career.
"It is very impressive, and very special to me as my father got a portrait of him done when he retired as well," said Paul.
"I want Kenneth to get recognition for this." So with everyone happy with the end result and Kenneth succeeding in his first paid art job, the room was full of smiling, proud faces, especially Paul's.
"It's the only one of its kind in the world!" he said.
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