POULSBO — In 2004, it was a Viking ship gliding majestically through Liberty Bay. In 2005, it was a Viking promenading merrily as part of the parade. This year, Carrie Tilton’s newest design for the Viking Fest logo is a combination of both.

Her rendering of a stoic Viking standing aside his ship at the Poulsbo dock will represent the 2006 Viking Fest, as she was awarded a certificate of designation and the $1,000 Barbara Krell Memorial Scholarship Wednesday.

This is the third consecutive year in which Tilton’s art has won the Viking Fest Illustration Contest sponsored by the Viking Fest Corporation.

The only guidelines for the design are that it needs to have a Viking Fest theme as well as be suitable for all ages. Entries were collected at the Northwest College of Art in December 2005 for judging.

“This will be on our T-shirts, our buttons, our posters … this will be our logo,” said Viking Fest member Ron Krell, whose wife is memorialized by the award. “(Tilton) always does a fabulous job on this thing.”

The annual competition — in its sixth year — is open to all students at the NCA and while the number of entries have declined over the years, that doesn’t spoil the award, Tilton said.

“I’m just happy to be a part of Viking Fest,” the Poulsbo resident said Jan. 25, adding that she’s been captivated by Viking Fest since she was a little girl. “I love art, so what better way to be a part of it?”

Tilton has successfully etched her name into the winner’s spot of the competition and onto the chests of festival goers with three different works over the past three years. Last year, she departed from 2004’s serious maritime depiction to a comical rendition of a burly Viking carrying a bunch of balloons. For 2006, she decided to remain on the lighter side.

“I got a lot of positive feed back from last year’s (logo), so I went along with that,” Tilton said. “I tried to make it as cute as possible.”

Tilton, a 2003 North Kitsap High School graduate in her final year at NCA, said her favorite part of the graphite drawing is the quirky expression the Viking has on his face. With a grin, she described it as “playful.” And her third consecutive $1,000 scholarship brings a smile to her face as well.

“I can’t thank (Viking Fest Corporation) enough for the financial aid,” Tilton said after thanking Krell multiple times. “Over the three years, it has added up, and everything helps.”

Tilton has put the money to good use as she is set to graduate from NCA in September with a double major in fine arts and design. Following graduation, she hopes to explode onto the graphic arts scene and possibly turn a contest like this into a career.

Her winning design will be printed on T-shirts promotional materials and will be officially showcased at Viking Fest, May 19-21 in Poulsbo. For more information, visit www.vikingfest.org.