Fedorchak, Forbes take first place in fair's Exhibition of Fine Art

The San Diego County Fair's Exhibition of Fine Art included paintings by Fallbrook artists Penny Fedorchak and Debbie Forbes which won first place in their categories.

Fedorchak took first place in the water – representational, landscape class for "Monumental." Forbes was given the premier acrylic – representational, animals award for "The Catty Critic."

"Monumental" is of a waterfall surrounded by a rocky cliff. The scene was inspired by Yosemite Falls.

"We were spending a lot of time doing plein air painting up in Yosemite," Fedorchak said.

Fedorchak also utilizes watercolor for some of her paintings.

"I've done other paintings of Yosemite that have won awards. This one is a different style for me," she said.

The trip to Yosemite was in 2015. Fedorchak worked on other paintings and other projects in between the phases needed to complete "Monumental."

"I started it a couple of years ago, and I finished it this year," she said.

During the judging, the names of the artists are hidden, so the fact that Fedorchak met one of this year's judges on her 2015 trip to Yosemite did not influence the decisions.

"I am absolutely thrilled and honored to be recognized. I was actually stunned. It's a very big deal in the watercolor world for me to be awarded first place at the San Diego County Fair," Fedorchak said.

Following the conclusion of the fair, Fedorchak took "Monumental" home. The painting was then sent to Yosemite for display in the North Fork area.