A young artist is leaving his mark in Hernando County.
Dontae Rice hasn't even graduated from high school yet and his skills are in high demand. The 17-year-old student is a seasoned artist. His work, including several murals, can been seen along the walls of Springstead High School.
"When I started out, that was in kindergarten, and all the kids told me I couldn't draw inside the lines," he said. "I wanted to prove them wrong. I think I did."
If you need a T-shirt design, Dontae is the guy to talk to. He has done several of them.
Right now the young artist is working on his biggest project to date. The school is having him design a new eagle statue to replace the old one at the front of the school. The eagle is the school's mascot and it has seen better days.
"It needs a facelift," Dontae said.
Dontae's design is almost finished. Principal Carmine Rufa says Dontae was the right man for the job.
"Whenever he comes back, he can always go back and say, 'Yeah, I was part of that, that was my idea,' which is a great feeling for kids," Rufa said.
Rufa says he hopes to have the new statue in place by the end of the summer. Dontae is set to graduate this year so he'll have to return to see it.