At 6 years old, Maya Sheffield had already won one art contest: a coloring competition at Baskin Robbins. Only three years later, following her First Holy Communion, her original artistic design would become Bishop Cantú’s Christmas card and be sent all over the diocese.

But then, neither she nor her mom, Australian native Natalie Sheffield, could believe it when the year after that, her artwork would also be second place in the contest.

Now, as the family prepares to return to Australia, they are enriched by the knowledge that young Maya has already made an artistic splash in the diocese with her colorful and thoughtful designs, which weave together her love of art and her faith.

Faith and Art

In 2023, the contest theme was Jesus in the Manger, Our Bread of Life. Natalie remembers helping Maya connect faith to art. “We talked about the chalice, and we encouraged her to reflect on where she had heard that term before.” A lightbulb went off for Maya: she had heard "chalice” during her First Holy Communion preparation. She began drawing a host and some holly leaves. The result was her first prize-winning design (see sidebar).

Maya entered the competition again the following year. The new theme, The Holy Family Radiates Love, was trickier for her. She recalled, “I couldn't figure out if they meant the Holy Family, meaning God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, or if they meant Mary, Jesus, and Joseph.” This uncertainty opened the door for more conversations with Natalie, who explained the distinction between the Holy Trinity and the Holy Family.

The fun (and messy) part!

As she worked on her second winning design, Natalie recalled how “Maya spent most of the weekend doing different ideas and layouts. And I think by Sunday afternoon, we finally said, OK, you've just got to go with one!”

For her design, Maya used pastels as a coloring medium. Natalie shared what the mess looked like while Maya was creating: “There was smudging happening everywhere,” she laughed. Maya persisted, confident in the pastels she had used in her art class at Saint Simon.

The result was her second winning design with warm gradient colors surrounding the Holy Family. The lesson: taking risks and being messy is part of the fun for artists of all ages. Maya described what happened after the contest. “Back at school, people would say, ‘Maya, I got the Christmas card you made!’ That felt really special.”

Saint Simon art teacher, Angela Shafer, has also observed Maya’s dedication to art. “Maya really is an exceptional artist. Regardless of the project (or the medium that we're using), she dedicates considerable time and effort and gives meticulous attention to details. I have been teaching her for a few years, and it has been wonderful to watch her evolve and grow as an artist!”

Learning more about God through art

Looking back, Maya realizes how the contest “...made me think a little more about my faith because I was trying to understand the competition theme. It also helped me really realize that being Catholic is about a lot of different things.”

Creativity runs deep in the Sheffield household. Natalie is a landscape architect, constantly sketching and designing, while Maya’s younger brother also enjoys art. “We often do art together,” Maya explained. “It’s fun for us.” The family is now preparing to move back to Australia, and Natalie sees Maya’s contributions to the Silicon Valley community as part of the legacy they will carry overseas.

Natalie shared that, “It means a lot to my husband and me that Maya has been able to share her creativity and passion for art here before we leave.” Maya also has no plans to set aside her sketchbooks. She sees art as a lifelong pursuit. “I’ll do art all my life,” she declared. “It makes me happy, and it helps me think about faith in new ways!”