Claude Monet has inspired artists for more than a century. John Singer Sargent, a contemporary of his, was mesmerized by Monet's paintings. Decades later, Roy Lichtenstein painted a series of Rouen cathedrals after Monet's famous series.

Today, the father of Impressionist painting still inspires others to examine light, form and color. In October, when the N.C. Museum of Art opened "Monet in Normandy," its exhibition of 50 of the master's canvases, we asked you to send your artistic creations sparked by Monet.

Some were of subjects associated with Monet: water lilies or his garden at Giverny. Others were painted directly in his style or simply inspired by his experiments. Most can be seen on our Web site, my.newsobserver.com, in the "My Monet" gallery.

Today, as the exhibit closes, staff arts writer Ellen Sung selects two favorite entries. She chose based both on how much the piece reflects Monet's influence and how well it stands alone as a work of art.

Adult category

We can identify the photographer only by the user name he used for his post: hunter47d. He (or maybe she) said this photo of the Eno River was a reminder of Monet's water garden in Giverny (also submitted in a photo).

Like some of Monet's work, the palette is extremely limited, in this case to a single color. Also like late Monets, there is no horizon or foreground. The rippling water almost dissolves the scene into abstraction, but the photograph is still recognizable for what it is.

Student category

Justin Pedersen, fourth grade, St. Timothy's School, Raleigh.

Justin's deft, diagonal brushstrokes set this watercolor in motion. His limited color palette is reminiscent of Monet's careful control of color, and he uses a few simple hues to great effect. The greens in the lower half of the painting are a vibrant contrast to the warm tones in the top half at the opposite end of the color wheel. This painting is simple, but it sings.

The painting is on display at the N.C. Museum of Art along with other student-inspired Monet artwork.