Lomeli, Kuhn win art awards at county fair

Two Fallbrook High School art students won best of class awards in the Student Showcase at the San Diego County Fair.

Lupe Lomeli, who graduated from Fallbrook High School in May, won best of show in the Printmaking 2D competition as well as winning best of class in the division for students in grades 10 through 12 who were in their second, third, or fourth year as art students or in a Regional Occupational Program course. In the panoramic images competition 2013-14 junior Connor Kuhn won best of division for students in grades 10 through 12 who were in their second, third, or fourth year as art students or in a Regional Occupational Program course.

“It’s quite an honor for them and for our school,” said art instructor Bill Richardson. “They’re great students.”

Lomeli won her award for a print titled “Peacock” which features a peacock on a perch. “I think that’s terrific,” Richardson said.

Richardson’s class participated in a linoleum block reduction print activity. “It was a fun project that we do,” Richardson said. “She did an outstanding version of the project.”

Richardson has taught art at Fallbrook High School since the 1994-95 school year, although this year’s county fair was the first in which any of his students’ work was entered. “It was neat to see that, one, she wanted to do it at all and, two, she got best of show,” Richardson said.

Kuhn was Richardson’s only other student who entered the fair Student Showcase. “He’s kind of an independent study student, for the most part self-taught as a photographer,” Richardson said. “Just really puts a lot into it and is driven.”

Kuhn took Richardson’s Advanced Placement studio art class. “I didn’t give him much instruction, just helped him make some decisions here and there,” Richardson said.

Kuhn’s photo was titled “Sunrise in San Clemente”. He took the photo in May from the San Clemente Pier using a Cannon T1I camera. Kuhn combined five different exposures in his high dynamic range photo.

“It was nice to see that he was recognized for that hard work,” Richardson said.