Fine arts nominees – Orange County Register

The following 127 students have been nominated for the 2023 Artist of the Year in fine arts by teachers and private instructors at Orange County high schools and arts organizations.

This arts discipline has been divided into five specialties: ceramics, drawing, mixed media, painting, and sculpture and other 3D. Semifinalists in each specialty will be chosen by a panel of visual arts teachers and announced on April 23 at ocregister.com.

The nominees are listed with an endorsement from their nominating teacher and a link to the student’s work.

CERAMICS

Dane Michael Abbott

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“He is really thoughtful with his approach to working with clay. His interest with hand building is figurative sculpture, leaning towards abstraction. There is a lot of emotion visible in his sculptures. His greatest strength is throwing on the potter’s wheel. This year he has begun to work larger, making sectional forms. His thrown forms are vessel oriented, specifically vase forms.” — Jeffrey Picou, El Dorado High School

Loryn Baum

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“As a freshman, Loryn’s intense concentration helped her learn all the basic ceramics skills needed to start making work of her own. She would finish much earlier than other students, which gave her the time to learn additional skills including wheel throwing. During the pandemic, she was able to develop her skills further by working on and teaching ceramics at a local private ceramics studio. As a junior, I was astonished at how far her skills and passion had grown. She is advanced in her wheel-throwing skills and all of the skills needed for hand-building and glazing.” — Ysabel Gray, Tustin High School

Aiden Brunelle

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“Aiden is extremely talented in terms of his artistic abilities. He has been enrolled in ceramics all four years of his high school experience. In my AP 3D studio art class this year he is doing an excellent job, earning the one of the highest grades in that class. He has thus far exhibited creativity and a mastery of the materials on every assignment given to him.” — Jeffrey Picou, El Dorado High School

Emely Jasmin Ceballos

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“Emely is an art student who has a wonderful way of telling her story through her artwork. She is a ceramics student that is decided to draw stories from her heritage in her own way. The verbal stories that were past to her are artistically translated into images on pottery. The result is something authentic, self-reflective, and uniquely Emely Ceballos. She is the type of student that you learn from and grow from as a result of being their teacher.” – Jesse Standlea, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

Grace Dickinson

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“Grace is a true craftsman in the art of ceramics. She has grown her ability over the years. In her high school classes, Grace grew the skills of hand building along with wheel throwing. She has continued to research, practice and refine her work with an excitement that inspires her peers. Grace knows what it takes to create the type of art that starts out merely as a pencil drawing in her sketchbook. She spends time researching online and in books about possibilities. Then she brings those into conversations in the studio to further the art process to discussion with myself and fellow artists.” –— Jackie Ames, Costa Mesa High School

Sami Gaites

“Sami has a natural hand in clay. She comes to the studio with ideas that spill from her sketchbook, onto the clay and becomes a work of art for others to enjoy. Her focus often is on the fundamental basics that we all cherish. From our favorite vase we can put flowers in that makes us smile, to the bowl that we chose because it makes the comfort food we are eating taste so much better.” — Jackie Ames, Costa Mesa High School

Alexandra Hernandez

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“Alexandra’s work demonstrates her strong commitment to developing advanced ceramics skills in wheel throwing, glazing and fabrication as she takes her work beyond functional and decorative realms and into full fledged sculpture. Her unique assemblage of wheel thrown forms creates interplay of positive and negative spatial components. Alexandra seeks to explore the traditions of old world ceramic vessels and glazes while blending and melding her contemporary inspirations. Her work has an individualistic style and identity that can be seen as it breaks from the norm in the deconstruction and rebuilding process.” — Jackie Ames, Costa Mesa High School

Kason Huynh

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“What impresses me the most about this young woman is her initiative and personality. She is constantly inventing a direction to push her work. She has shown dedication and commitment to excellence, and maturity way beyond her years. Her efforts in class have also afforded her the opportunities to aid me in demonstrations but work one on one with beginning students.” — Brian Schultz, Capistrano Valley High School

Saki Johnson

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“She is poised to begin a career in Illustration and I cannot wait to see where she goes with her talent. In addition to her fantastic illustration skills, she is an amazing creative problem solver and critical thinker. Saki has completed one semester of ceramics and two semesters of orchestra, two semesters of drawing and painting, and several courses of theater, where she has not only received excellent grades but has had her work put on school wide display as well as earning several summer arts scholarships.” — Brian Schultz, Capistrano Valley High School

Breezy Kash

“Breezy Kash has a dedication to her artwork that professional artists strive to achieve. She spends countless hours researching and experimenting with new ideas and techniques. Breezy is not afraid to take risks with the creative process that she puts her work through. She has grown her skills both in handbuilding and wheel throwing and often combining the two within one piece. Breezy is a role model for others in the studio as she leads the way in a vast understanding of all the many options that our studio has.” — Jackie Ames, Costa Mesa High School

Allison Grace Marie Lindenmeyer

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“Allison Lindenmeyer is passionate about clay.  She is always at work, fussing and smoothing her latest form until the natural lines and flow begin to happen and guide her through her ceramic pieces.  She enjoys the feel of abstraction and thrill of creation without well defined ideas or plans. She lets the clay take her where it wants to go and it always a great delight to see the final piece.” — Jane Klammer, Orange Lutheran High School

Mia Josephine Linville

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“Mia has set out to develop a body of work which delves into the ever-important issue of mental health. This topic of study is incredibly worthwhile, and has come very easily to Mia. However, what has impressed me most, is Mia’s determination to revise and refine her process. I’ve witnessed them fail, calmly re-analyze the situation, and return to work multiple times. In each instance, Mia finds a way to improve upon the previous endeavor to produce a striking result. Mia’s concepts are bold and honest without feeling contrived; a viewer would have little trouble ascertaining the mood of their art pieces.” — Donovan Miller, Portola High School

Rosalynn Ethany Madriaga

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“Our favorite part about Rosey and her artwork is the size that she takes on. She has challenged herself to continue to increase the weight and size of the clay that she centers on the potter’s wheel. Coming in a petite size herself does not deter her, but instead, motivates her to take on that challenge. Rosey’s dedication and commitment to the work she does in her artwork and to her other core academic classes make her a role model for her fellow peers. She is always willing to volunteer and understands the importance of what it means to be part of a team.” — Kirby Piazza, Costa Mesa High School

Bethany Miyamoto

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“Bethany is an exemplary example of an artist. Bethany is the student who when given an assignment and a list of expectations consistently blows it out of the water, making things bigger and better than could be expected. Her ideas and artistic practice are something to be admired, but her humbleness to her craft is equally if not more impressive.” — Alexandra Kyte, Orange Lutheran High School

Jaiden Smith

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“Jaiden is one of the most talented beginning students I’ve encountered in nearly 20 years of teaching ceramics. She has gone above and beyond with every assignment given her this year in my class. Her designs are refreshingly unique and her execution is nearly flawless. Her mask and slab box projects really stand out in my mind. The element that she excels with is texture.” — Jeffrey Picou, El Dorado High School

Sabrina J. Stieler

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“Sabrina is a thinker and a learner. She has always exceeded in learning and questioning from a wide range of subjects, this has impacted both her world view and creativity. As a freshman she learned the basic skills and now as a senior she is combining her life experiences and her learning into her AP3D portfolio. When brainstorming her sustained investigation and inquiry question, I was impressed with her depth. Her inquiry questions are, ‘How can art make us feel for or relate to something chewed, be it by animals, humans, plants, time or the world?’” — Ysabel Gray, Tustin High School

Mariam Sultani

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“Mariam has consistently demonstrated a high level of skill, creativity, and ability to communicate artistic voice in all of her work so far this year. She constantly pushes her limits and has demonstrated artistic growth. She has a tremendous skill at developing fine surface decoration and nature motifs through carving clay and sculptural design. She created a beautifully detailed calavera pinch pot this year and finished it with an equally beautiful glaze.” — Nicholas Stecher, Anaheim High School

Garrett Teng

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“Garrett is a student who found a home in art, even though he wasn’t looking for one. Over the four years that I had the pleasure of being Garrett’s teacher, he has continually shown growth and improvement in his artistic practice, his process, and his ideas. … His work is exquisite in that he can construct objects in such a manner that technically should not be possible but continues to work and execute his ideas.” — Alexandra Kyte, Orange Lutheran High School

Trey Alejandro Wallace

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“I have had the pleasure of being Trey’s ceramics teacher for the past two years. He has shown such amazing detail and artistic ability in his sculpture work with clay. The time that Trey spends on his ceramic work has been long and attentive hours and his pieces exhibit incredible textures and surfaces. He is always finding new ways to use tools to hand-build his creations and his personality really comes through his work.” — Michelle Dziadkowicz, Marina High School

DRAWING

Nina Alvarez

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“Nina Alvarez is a very skilled artist in so many different media, but I would have to say her drawings stand out the most. She is captivated by drawing, painting, and working with clay. But her drawings resonate as some of her strongest works because of her careful sensitive studies and such great skill. Nina is an extremely hard-working student, and has been working very hard in fine arts for the past six years, both on campus and in private studios.” — Paige Oden, Orange County School of the Arts

Tara Bamdad

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“There is more to becoming an artist than technical skills and concepts. Tara’s character shines in class through her integrity, professionalism, accountability, and respect when providing true and constructive feedback to her peers. Tara has a unique perspective in her artwork. She is not hesitant to explore new materials and concepts.” – Samantha Squieri, Beckman High School

Aliyah Alexa Cisneros

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“Aliyah is a strong art student, has a vision for her work and a high understanding of how to utilize and execute her artistic plans. I think this will help grow her skillset and she is currently in the process of making three consecutive works that have an overall theme. She has a strong artistic skill set and this nomination will help push her toward that finish line. I have never worked with such a dedicated student, she is extremely eager to learn processes and materials and once she has the understanding she always puts her unique perspective directly into each work.” — Stacy Luskin, Westminster High School

Kate D’Amaro

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“Kate has a knack for noticing everyday objects and events, capturing the spirit of the moment, and then adding her unique touch. Last year her portfolio centered on how food brings people together, but she spent a lot of time rendering details of lunches on a table, noticing the tiny minutia of how the light reflects of crumpled juice containers and opened tin foil. There is the presence of people —hands, arms, shoes glimpsed under the table — but she withholds the portrait, really drawing the viewer in to the moment as Kate sees it. This year, she is taking her exceptional skill and mixing realistic rendering with pattern, rhythm, and repetition.” — Phillip Griswold, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

Dean Fujimoto

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“His creativity and desire to drive himself is inspirational to say the least. Each of his pieces is approached with the utmost of creativity and curiosity. He lends a twist to each and every assignment. He approaches and continues to push himself with different mediums and techniques. His curiosity is his most prized attribute and will take him far and away with his art. He takes everything in and wants to explore every possible aspect of creating.” — Pamela Toomey, Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Jessica Hernandez

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“Her talent and attention to detail is amazing. Like a true artist, she recognizes and draws things that others might overlook. For example, her current AP portfolio is about birds, especially those birds that are becoming extinct. Jessica does extensive research to help her drawing look realistic.” — Judith Westing, Santa Ana High School

Samantha Hernandez

“She has the courage to attempt different styles of approaches discovering new layers of her own style. She is not afraid to try new medium, and she will keep at an art piece with the focus and determination that it takes to go beyond passion, and strive for her personal best. Samantha quietly works away, and never stops drawing.” — Keli Marchbank, Costa Mesa High School

Samantha Hae-Min Kim

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“Samantha Kim has strong technical skills, which one perceives immediately. But even stronger are her “problem-solving” skills — her creative outlook. Samantha has a unique and powerful voice in class and out of class. One can only envision the places Samantha can go with her artistry as she further develops her voice that is both whimsical and idealistic, yet also always seeks equity and justice.” — Jeannie Mooney, Orange Lutheran High School

Chelsea Lee

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“Chelsea Lee is a skilled and dynamic artist, especially in the area of Drawing. Her graphite or charcoal drawings are always compelling and powerful with a wide range of detailed patterning, interesting compositions and painstaking attention to detail. Her drawings always stand out among any exhibit because of that attention to detail and her hard work and her examination of patterns and gradated value.” — Paige Oden, Orange County School of the Arts

Megan Lemery

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“She has a tremendous art ability and the drive and imagination to create thoughtful and evocative work. During her AP studio art course last year she focused on perceptions of childhood throughout drawing, painting and mixed media. Her images address the inner emotions of what It feels like to be a child. She is continuing this vision in the deeply detailed work she is doing this year. She is focusing on images of family and travel experiences as they tie the generations together.” – Melinda Cohea, Capistrano Valley Christian School

Shengyi Li

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“Teams of wild horses could not stop Shengyi from drawing. Ever since I met him as a freshman, he is in my classroom as much a possible, drawing through break, lunch, any free time he has. His work has a consistency of story building: each composition invites you into a new world of his imagination. This world comes together through his innate understanding of color, composition, and contrast.” — Kearci Moir Thompson, Portola High School

Amelia Lin

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“Amelia Lin’s growth as an artist is evident in the work she is producing this year. I have had the privilege to have Amelia as an art student for a few years and I am excited to share her work with Orange County. Amelia is able to take her concepts and create original work that demonstrate superior technique and dynamic compositions. Her self-expression via art making opens a dialogue with her viewers about the challenges of growing up. Cultural issues are explored and bring awareness that is both personal and universal. I’ve witnessed dynamic conversations about these issues with Amelia and her classmates that otherwise may have not occurred. Amelia’s art is a powerful communication tool.” — Jenny Ricks, Corona del Mar High School

Fiona Liu

“What I have always admired about Fengyuan’s work is her consistent ability to enchant the viewer with a singular mix of discipline and imagination. The rigor in her process is undeniable, and her pieces always feel fresh, not labored. Last summer, Fengyuan challenged herself by designing and executing stained glass windows for a chapel in our sisters’ convent. She had never worked with stained glass before but managed to create stunning images of saints that illicit delight and wonderment in everyone who sees them.” — Monica McQueen, JSerra Catholic High School

Grecia Martinez-Rosiles

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“Grecia is one of the most hardworking and independent young artists that I have had the pleasure of teaching. She completes works quickly and perfectly, striving to make each work better than the one before it. She works and re-works a piece until it looks exactly as she planned, working through each challenge with a new medium as she goes.” — Stacy Luskin, Westminster High School

Charlotte McAllister

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“Charlotte has a variety of talents as an artist. When working realistically, she patiently and carefully observes her subject, to capture subtleties of value and color. She is also skilled at fine, painstaking details that take hours to achieve. When creating an original composition, she has a great eye for arranging the elements of her composition in a way that is visually interesting and dramatic.” — Anna Sanders, La Habra High School

Edgar Nava Roman

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“Edgar is a strong artist, as he displays a high level of attention to detail and has a unique perspective that he brings into all of his pieces. No matter the prompt, Edgar always has a vision and executes his work to the best of his ability. I believe his work shows a strong understanding of subject matter and utilizing materials and this will motivate him to continue working on his artistic skills.” — Stacy Luskin, Westminster High School

Jasmine Nguyen

“Jasmine has a distinct artistic voice and a vision for her work that is entirely her own. She consistently outperforms the parameters for each artistic work assigned to her because she has a natural talent for experimenting with ideas and new approaches. When we were talking about her portfolio recently, she shared a semester-long project that was a tender and deep story about a ‘spirit’ who returned to console her family in a time of great need.” — Karen Carrie, Fairmont Preparatory Academy

Aiden Park

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“Aidan has excelled artistically within our program, as one of the most determined artists I’ve had the honor to teach. His focus is unparalleled, he will continue to chip away at a piece until it’s near perfect photo-realistic quality, a skill he’s had ever since I met him as a freshman. His 50-hour piece, a year-long assignment in our Advanced class, is exemplary — a self-portrait of himself sinking deep to the bottom of a pool, each layer refining and uncovering new things about the image.” — Kearci Moir Thompson, Portola High School

Nicole Pineda

“Her sustained investigation explores the pain of a broken heart and how the pain comes from a place of great beauty. I believe this topic is inspired by her personal loss of a loved one. Her drawings incorporate anatomical renderings of the human skeleton and heart but resist trite imagery. They have a visceral quality and are rendered with beautiful mark-making.” — Jill Christensen, Rosary Academy

XinYue Qiu

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“She is constantly taking supplies home, trying new mediums, watching video, doing studies, testing out techniques, etc. April is very talented, but what I admire most about her is her desire to learn and grow. April has grown tremendously especially over the past year because she pushes herself to go outside of her comfort zone.” — Zaidy Olivarria, Orangewood Academy

Valentino Quinteros

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“This is the first year I worked with Val, yet he is already beginning the development of his voice. Each day his concepts shine through and his passion shapes his artistic response. Currently, his Argentinian heritage is the focus of his vision. The more he creates depictions from his culture, the more his technique is developing and making a stronger presence. His talent ranges from photo realism to a more stylized version with hard edges and line work.” — Samantha Squieri, Beckman High School

Camila Ramos

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“Camilla’s enthusiasm artistic abilities come naturally to her as she plans each new piece of artwork meticulously in her sketchbook. She rises to every creative challenge and delivers an extraordinary, flawless, and beautiful response. Camilla’s work reflects her inquisitive and creative spirit, as well as her ability to regulate art aspects and concepts. She enjoys working with personal subjects, such as capturing a playful moment with friends or a sweet self-portrait with her mother in great detail.” — Karen Carrie, Fairmont Preparatory Academy

Anthony Romero

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“When I first had Anthony as a student in Beginning art, I would walk past his work and then stop with awe, excitement and praise!  Anthony has amazing details and depth in his work.  His patience is incredible.  Anthony is  currently in AP Art working on his Drawing portfolio.  He is investigation his culture and researching different traditions in his Mexican heritage.” — Judith Westing, Santa Ana High School

Sylvan Romero

“Sylvan stands out as an artist who not only confidently thinks outside the box, but takes the extra step to follow through on those thoughts. They show the ability to experiment with artistic mediums and concepts with interest, excitement, and openness that elevates their work and allows them to grow. There is always something new and different to discover in Sylvan’s work that makes it exciting to witness, not only in development but also in outcome.” — Jillian Rogers, Woodbridge High School

Kaitlin Rue

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“Kaitlin’s devotion to art and her growth over last two years has been phenomenal. Not only is she a talented artist and dedicated student, but she’s also a wonderful and caring person. She is highly motivated and has taken great initiative in all her projects. She works independently but is always helpful and supportive of her fellow artists/classmates.” — Pamela Toomey, Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Carina Sanchez

“I think that this student displays good work ethic. She has self-discipline, pays attention to detail, is eager to learn, accepts constructive criticism, and has speed in her drawing skills. Most important, art is Carina’s passion. … The Memory Project is a youth arts organization that promotes intercultural understanding and kindness between children around the world.  We were assigned children from Nigeria this year and Carina drew hers using Prismacolor pencils. She handled color pretty well considering that she has not had too much practice using color. Carina just has an artistic knack.” — Silvia Lopez, Katella High School

Chili Sloop

“Chili Sloop has had a passion for drawing as long as she has been in high school. She especially enjoys working with charcoal and mixed media drawing on birch wood panel. Chili loves creating elaborate value studies and telling narrative stories through her detailed and very creative drawings, using charcoal, pastel graphite. She has done a series of octopi illustrations that have garnered awards and success. As her confidence grows, her talent and skill grows too.” — Paige Oden, Orange County School of the Arts

Madeline Stute

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“Madeline was always a natural painter. She had skills even in her beginning years with me as a student. I have enjoyed watching her grow, try new medium, and advance as an artist. She has refined her ability to observe and draw from her imagination and representationally. Madeline has said that she ‘likes to make art because she enjoys challenging herself, and sharing a piece of herself.’” — Keli Marchbank, Costa Mesa High School

Taytum Lihn Teague

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“Taytum has a very unique drawing style. Taytum has been in my graphic design classes for three years and I know her to be a kind young woman with burgeoning artistic skills. I have nominated her for the Artist of the year competition because of the passion she’s shown in her art.” — Kevin Robertson, El Dorado High School

Sofia Usquiano

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“Sofia Usquiano demonstrates strong technique in drawing. She is passionate about architecture and shows an understanding of the intellectual content in her work as she is passionate in recording for history, the buildings around her focusing on the Los Angeles cityscape. Sofia has a wonderful sense what she wants to explore and contribute to the world via her drawings and painting of the structures design and built in our modern-day world.  The artist has shown complexity in technique as she works with pen and ink, graphite pencil and paper, canvas and paint.” — Jane Klammer, Orange Lutheran High School

Jazmin Valladares

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“(During COVID), she didn’t have access to high quality art supplies, but still managed to create the most indescribable art with what she could and participated in virtual shows to gain exposure during isolation. Using everyday objects/materials to create art challenged & fueled her growth. … Her passions are in realism and portraiture. Jazmin is resilient. Her conceptual ideas have the sophistication of a contemporary artist. She dreams of being a working artist one day, teaching art & giving back to the community while creating commissioned work.” — Nena Kellar, Century High School

MIXED MEDIA

Gwendolyn Aceves

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“Gwen has a level of sophistication that is beyond her teen years. She is mature and her ideas reflect that contemplative nature. … She has a variety of skills in  drawing, painting, and graphic design.  Gwen also volunteered at our law academy as a sketch artist. She drew different jurors and judges at the OC county courthouse in mock trials.” — Judith Westing, Santa Ana High School

Justine Choi

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“Justine’s thoughtfulness, thoroughness, and ability to take risks make her a successful student and artist. She is attentive to detail, has an open mind, and has a diligent work ethic. Justine is inspired by her experiences; she is an international student who has lived and traveled all over the world and explored the various environmental influences that have impacted her.” — Isabella DeGuzman, Crean Lutheran High School

Chloe Duong

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“I believe it is the diversity that Chloe brings to the space that sets her apart from others. Art for her is living, it is dissecting parts of herself that she wants to know better, and yet she is able to do that in a way that invites the viewer to also know themselves better. The work is personal but incredibly relatable.” — Jamie Kough, Laguna Beach High School

Gwendolyn Ellis

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“Gwendolyn has a unique vision and voice that is expressed through her art form and her faith. This artist’s work has had an impact on others. She sets high standards for those around her. She loves exploring new media and strives to experiment to the full use of media.” — Jane Klammer, Orange Lutheran High School

Esmeralda Espejo Mandujano

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“Esmeralda has dedicated all four years of her high school experience to Art. … Esmeralda has volunteered to come after-school and several Saturdays. She has a huge heart! She always has a positive attitude and longs to gain knowledge and skills. Her smile is infectious  Her future goals are to attend college and major in Education or Art.  When I think of Esmeralda I think of her hard work ethic, her creativity and her kindness.” — Judith Westing, Santa Ana High School

Melanie Hui

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“Melanie Hui is an extraordinarily talented, award-winning, and hard-working student dedicated to both art and service. When it comes to her art, Melanie always demands the very best from herself. As a result, she is not afraid of new challenges and takes them on exciting adventures. Her sketchbook is a manifestation of how deeply she thinks about each art project, and I love when she revisits and recreates her old art pieces with a new vision. Her artistic vision has earned her many local, school, and national awards.” – Kim J. Lee, Atelier: Creative Art Studio

Lyn Iguchi

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“She is poised to begin a career in Illustration and I cannot wait to see where she goes with her talent. In addition to her fantastic illustration skills, she is an amazing creative problem solver and critical thinker.” — Patricia Vining, Samueli Academy

Chloe Kim

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“Chloe Kim is one of the hardest working students you will ever meet. She loves to challenge herself with new artforms and new art materials that she has not experienced before. As an example of Chloe’s hard work and tenacity, she thrives in 2D materials like pencil and paint but she has challenged herself in the last few years to push her 3D skills with new experimentation in collage and mixed media processes. Now she is one of the most talented and prolific mixed media artists in our school.” — Paige Oden, Orange County School of the Arts

Imogen Charlotte Sheffield

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“Imogen resonates deeply with a quote by César A. Cruz, who said ‘art is meant to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.’ She believes that art should provide a safe space for the people who need it while challenging people to see ‘the other’ and confront it. For Imogen, art is an outlet for her feelings and thoughts as much as it is about provoking conversations that need to be had in the world, with much of her work addressing issues surrounding standards of beauty, femininity, and the female body.” — Vanessa Valdes, Corona del Mar High School

Alison Amber Lee

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“Alison is very unique for her age in regard to her sense of her cultural responsibility and also identifying the opportunities bestowed upon her by her own Korean ancestors. Alison is a very skilled representational artist and yet is constantly coming up with new and innovative ways to better illustrate her narrative images. She is always pushing herself to improve in various media so that she can merge those skills to a new level of illustration quality.” — Paige Oden, Orange County School of the Arts

Min Young (Claire) Lee

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“Claire’s work draws the viewer in through her expressive use of line and mark-making. Her ability to consistently produce high quality work and her fearlessness in exploring new media is unmatched. … Claire has a clear passion and drive for learning, design, and understanding the human experience. She uses her interest in language, science, and art and design in both her creative and academic pursuits. I have been consistently impressed with Claire’s unique eye for detail and design as well as her insight in art history and the human experience- truly beyond her years.” — Kate Doss, Crean Lutheran High School

Katie Letourneau

“She’s incredibly versatile. I am impressed that a high school student can exhibit such dedicated work ethic and a desire to reach her best visual solutions. I have been thrilled to work with her to refine her overall design process and skill set. She studies the history of art, contemporary art as well as pop culture to add to her repertoire of techniques and various approaches to the visual language. She understands that powerful, communicative aesthetics will always take work and dedication.” — Rudy Gardea, Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Ellie Lian

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“They always say as a teacher you learn from students more than they learn from you, and for me, that describes Ellie Lian. Ellie’s way of seeing the world, her ability to interpret a work of art, and the artistic voice she’s developed — witnessing it makes me want to sit down and take notes. She tackles issues of misogyny in thoughtful and searing pieces, she creates surrealist scenes that look like scenes from a weird dream, and she leads discussions in class about the purpose of art and the themes she sees in her peers’ work. It’s simply impressive.” — Kearci Moir Thompson, Portola High School

Juntong Liao

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“Juntong Liao brings a brightness wherever she goes. Her work plays with abstraction, self-expression, and color; she bursts onto the scene with each piece full of thoughts, new ideas, and a sense of exploration. You can tell Juntong really just loves art for art’s sake, constantly giving thoughtful and encouraging feedback to her peers, her own brainstorming pages overflowing with new places to explore.” — Kearci Moir Thompson, Portola High School

Sici Yuet Hei Liu

“Sici is very process-oriented and does not focus on the end result, thus leaving her curious and innovative mind brimming with all of the possibilities to come in. She offers fresh, unique perspectives both in her work and class discussions where she expresses her depth, knowledge, and open-mindedness. Sici has set a high bar for herself and completed remarkable works, thoughtful artist statements, and shown great care and consideration for her fellow classmates’ artistic endeavors during critiques and class discussion.” — Karen Carrie, Fairmont Preparatory Academy

Bianca LoCascio

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“Bianca has blown me away with her abilities to visually communicate. She is willing to play, learn, and get dirty to try anything thrown at her.  Currently, she is working on a wood palette and creating a multimedia piece about trauma.  Her work is visually stunning while also deep in story and commitment to self. She has wonderful control of color and media, continually trying new combinations of found objects and traditional mediums.” — Jamie Kough, Laguna Beach High School

Andrea Marquez

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“Andrea is a top notch art student with a great attitude. She shows a level of skill beyond her years. She is also intensely motivated to create Art. She is one of the best artists that I have had.  She is highly creative and she will continue on as a talented professional Artist. Words do not give justice to her abilities.” — Andy Edlund, Villa Park High School

Oliver Nevarez

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“He is an inspiration to others and has a natural talent and desire to succeed. He is one of the most talented students that I have had over my 25-plus-year career. His entire universe revolves around his art and creating it daily. I will assign a project and he will complete it in half the time of everyone else and it will be twice as good. He is consumed with art and absolutely loves it.” — Sheila Colcord, Pacifica High School

Vanessa Nunez

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“Vanessa Nunez is an outstanding artist due to the nonstop nature of her creativity and the fact that she has her own personal style already developed at such a young age. She is in my printmaking class for the second consecutive year and her style and artistic vision are exceptional. She is always creating, and always looking for new ways to express her interest in her subject matter.” — Wendy Kubiak, Katella High School

Lauren Sofia Sandoval

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“Lauren Sandoval is a thinker and creative. She is consistently creating art/photography projects that are topical and define culture and norms in a changing society. She focuses on media representation of women and girls and the status they have in society. Her medium is mixed media painting and collages from vintage magazines, specifically women’s magazines from the 1960s. She also uses found materials to collage and paint on, things such as scrap wood, cardboard, and similar substrates. This use of materials also speaks to our throw-away society and assistance on having ‘stuff’ to express our wealth and desire.” — Ingred Shine, Villa Park High School

Lisa Wang

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“Drawing inspiration from news headlines, animated film directors, and art history, Lisa Wang reinterprets the stories she hears or sees in her own distinct personal style. Many art students become too engrossed in perfecting their formal technique and achieving realism that they sacrifice the development of their own unique personal style, but the latter is Lisa’s strength. Her paintings, drawings, and digital works are imbued with it, and you can see her clear, substantial reflection.” — Vanessa Valdes, Corona del Mar High School

Xingyu (Claire) Wang

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“I am nominating Xingyu Wang for her exceptionally strong observational drawing skills which she combines with her very active imagination to create engaging and intriguing art. Xingyu is the type of student that art teachers take pictures of everything they create to use as examples for future students. … I celebrate Xingyu too, because she is such a hard worker. She makes use of every minute of art class to improve and practice and create. She is serious about a career in the visual arts, where ever that may lead her.” — Monica McQueen, JSerra Catholic High School

Nicole Zhang

“I first met Nicole as a pleasantly engaged and incredibly motivated art student. With her originality and drive to study as much as she could, she instantly stood out. …The lockdowns did not impact Nicole’s work as she didn’t skip a beat, putting a huge amount of energy into her brilliant designs, illustrations, and broad participation in the course as it transitioned to the Zoom environment. She continued to serve as an excellent role model for other students, displaying tremendous perseverance, passion, and initiative.” — Karen Carrie, Fairmont Preparatory Academy

Muen Grace Zhou

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“Grace’s positive attitude and compassionate spirit has been evident through her desire to use art to better society through self-directed service opportunities, face-painting, and mural work. Her eye for design as well as her insight in art history and understanding of the human experience is truly beyond her years. Grace consistently reevaluates her artwork based on feedback and her own ideas; she is not afraid to experiment with a range of media or start a new idea.” — Kate Doss, Crean Lutheran High School

PAINTING

Angela Bang

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“Angela Bang is an outstanding young woman. Her technical skills are beyond anything you can gain from just years of art experience alone, and she actively uses her art and leadership talents to help others in need. I have been impressed by her work ethic, talent, and unique creativity. She is a very motivated and diligent student with a clear goal of being a designer in the future. She is always prepared to take on her next challenge and plan her next project. She pushes herself very hard to create the best and the most original works possible.” — Kim J. Lee, Atelier: Creative Art Studio

Madison Ryann Bautista

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“I am very pleased to find that Maddie has the ability to produce expressive, finished paintings and manage her time well. This is a valuable but rare combination in my experience. Maddie is exploring mental health issues in teenagers, a topic that is both timely and personal to her. Her commitment shines through in her daily effort, the time she spends working after school on a Friday, and the finished quality of her work.” — Jill Christensen, Rosary Academy

Fiona Bonham

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“Fiona Bonham is one of the best artists I had the pleasure of teaching. Her creativity, imagination and attention to detail is unparalleled. She understands how to use all visual mediums as well as mastery of a variety of visual arts disciplines .  From traditional classical paintings such as landscapes, still life, figurative visual subject matters, Fiona is able to creative non traditional art works in commercial , designs, graphics that surpasses expectations as a high school art student.” – Chau Tran, Dana Hills High School

Amanda Burnley

“I can confirm she is one of the top students I have taught. She embraces difficulties and produces thoughtful, intricate, and inventive work. I had the pleasure of teaching Amanda as an art student in Fashion Design last year where she created a perfectly tailored pair of pants that were hand-painted with a one-of-a-kind design for our December 2021 fashion exhibition. I can see her now, coming into the art room every free period to sew in a zipper, sketch out a design on the legs of the pants and painstakingly make something worthy of NYC Fashion week!” — Karen Carrie, Fairmont Preparatory Academy

Jillyan Canaveral

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“Her artwork is intriguing and interesting.Her work invites you into the piece leading you into a different world. She purposefully challenges herself developing her art including the techniques she is experimenting with to create great pieces.  But there is another side of Jillyan … her compassion for those around her. She volunteers her time through campus and outside organizations but more importantly is her day to day interaction with her fellow artist classmates.” — Pamela Toomey, Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Cassidi Lea Casco

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“Cassidi is a very unique and talented artist with a body of work that is mature, innovative, and thoughtful. Her portfolio pushes the boundary of what paint can do and how connections can be made between medium and concept. She is continually documenting her practice and experimentation in her sketchbook, always trying to work out the perfect way to express her vision.” — Jillian Rogers, Woodbridge High School

Catherine Cummings

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“She is incredibly talented, and equally impressive, she is incredibly positive and eager to learn everything she can about painting. Cate has an eloquent and insightful manner when speaking about her paintings that are always laden with deep meaning and show incredible growth in the two years I have know her. Cate’s technique is unique; everyone knows her beautiful ‘style’ of painting. Her imaginative work exhibits gorgeous blended colors, unifying glazing techniques, and always a strong dominant focal point full of luminous light. Cate’s latest work is experimental in both art materials and processes.” — Lynn Magnin, Esperanza High School

Luke Furca

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“Luke is a quiet and passionate artist who is always observing, thinking, analyzing and absorbing new information and art theories. He loves exploring new areas of fine art and specifically pushing the boundaries of different painting styles. As soon as Luke is introduced to a new area of painting, whether it be live observational, live portraiture or atmospheric light (outdoor landscape), this artist just takes off and immerses himself in that technique and then pushes the boundaries and rules to create a niche for himself.” — Paige Oden, Orange County School of the Arts

Juliana Ksandra Gaerlan

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“Her determination and drive are admirable in all facets of her life. Juliana is in the top 25 of her class. Her academic, athletic, and artistic talents are beyond her peers. …Juliana skillfully helps me articulate the craft of fine art and helps them conceptualize it at a college level. She has an eye for capturing the essence of the subject matter and her attention to detail is refined. Her generosity with her peers blows me away.” — Marjorie Brown, Buena Park High School

Nick Highman

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“Nick is a new student to me. His work ethic matches his talent, and his skill level shows in his work. … (H)e often will complete his work in my classroom during his open period, and has several art projects going at once. His ideas are always flowing, and he often will change directions, and be willing to re-work a section of his artwork. Nick has also done art in his spare time to generate a coloring page book for a children’s hospital. He wants to pursue art in his future in the are of illustration.” — Kirby Piazza, Costa Mesa High School

Alyx Hoang

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“Alyx has a tremendous amount of creative energy that they apply to many different surfaces. The body of work for drawing painting isn’t just limited to canvases but also fashion and fabrics as well, where Alyx has gained a social media following as well as customers to purchase her work. Her current body of work is of a more personal nature. I appreciate and enjoy how Alyx is able to use her past experiences and use art as a vehicle to express her inner thoughts and feelings.” — Tony Pash, Fountain Valley High School

Evan Mies Tanita Hong

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“Over the last two years she has grown as a portrait artist in her use of tone, color and accuracy, but she has never abandoned her love of discarded substrates. Her intimate portraits in cardboard, metal, used canvas and worn paint pallets are a metaphor for the power we have to mend broken things. Evan has never been concerned with the temporary nature of her recycled panel choices, revealing a healthy attitude toward art as an inexhaustible and lifelong pursuit. She is a risk-taker who’s compositional choices tackle the hardest skills in portraiture.” — Cameron Bishop, Pacifica Christian High School

Summer Hsieh

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“When I think of students who collaborate well and who build art communities wherever they go, Summer is the first student that comes to mind. Her late mother was an artist, and much of Summer’s work is about that thread that connects her back to her mother: the grief of loss, making meaning in a home with absence, discovering her unique passion and how that makes her feel close to her mother.” — Kearci Moir Thompson, Portola High School

Lilly Hurtt

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“Lilly’s thoughtfulness, resourcefulness, and ability to focus her energy makes for a teachable student and learner. She is skilled in listening, understanding, and having an open mind. … Lilly began making artwork related to her hearing disability. She has approached this work with humility, advocacy, and a desire to educate and empower others. Lilly has a clear passion and drive for learning, design, and understanding the human experience.” — Kate Doss, Crean Lutheran High School

Grace Hwang

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“She is unquestionably a talented artist as well as an ardent and insightful narrator in her artistic creations. Grace constantly produces work that is rich, and fascinating and draws from a reservoir of incomparable artistic skill and concepts. Grace is never afraid to take risks in her work and is always, always experimenting and trying new and innovative ways to express her ideas.” — Karen Carrie, Fairmont Preparatory Academy

Katherine Johnson

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“Kate’s work reflects a lot of her family dynamic and her love for her family. Her use of bright colors brings a positive expression to her work. By painting different scenes and moments in time, Kate hopes that others who view her work can relate and feel not alone in this world. You can see Kate’s caring personality in her work.” — Leah Dawson, Crean Lutheran High School

Da-Hee Kim

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“Da-hee’s approach to her art could best be described as very focused. She knows what she wants to do and will stick with it until she gets it—though she holds herself to a very high standard and is often dissatisfied with her results. … She is open to inspiration and letting her imagination guide her. Her work usually involves figures and often uses herself as the protagonist and model. While the work is representational, the worlds and spaces she creates are quite unique and heavily inspired by her imagination and take on a very allegorical sense.” — Brian Wall, Sunny Hills High School

Lee Lawson

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“Leiha’s been challenging herself in different media, and has always found ways to infuse her ideas with new techniques and approaches to media. I had a hard time choosing a media. Lei has pushed herself to broaden her scope of how she was going to express her ideas I have seen her go past the beginning building blocks of learning to use a new medium, and then she pushes through it!” — Keli Marchbank, Costa Mesa High School

Kate Lee

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“Kate is well-rounded in a variety of styles and abilities and her paintings are always highly imaginative as well. Unlike many students who are occupied with their studies, Kate’s passion for art has driven her to completely devote herself to art. Inspired by the concept of contrast, Kate bases her art on the common contrasts within our society; contrasts that exist in her experiences, but also in societal beliefs and standards. Generational and cultural differences are very much a part of society, and are also expressed in Kate’s artwork.” — Lynn Magnin, Esperanza High School

Charlee Lim

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“Charlee always demonstrates a singular goal to “get it right” whether solving a technical problem or displaying a creative message.  A kind and gentle aura permeate her person.  These characteristics spill out into Charlee’s art as she draws and paints the often unnoticed or the fleeting.  Her pencil drawings and paintings transport the viewer to the familiar and the unusual all at once.” – Jeannie Mooney, Orange Lutheran High School

Victoria Luong

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“Victoria works diligently to refine her craft in watercolor and gouache painting. For her age, she demonstrates a deep knowledge in the history and culture in the arts and is able to apply that knowledge to her work. Her work is mindful of these cultural and historical contexts with a twist of contemporary culture references and personal meaning that can set her work apart from others. Victoria works with a tremendous attention to detail focusing on contour lines and smooth gradients.” — Tony Pash, Fountain Valley High School

Briana Marinescu

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“Briana Marinesca possesses strong technique in her approach to drawing. Her Prismacolor pencil compositions are stroked with color and brilliance. Briana demonstrates an understanding of the intellectual content in her work as she has incorporated her Romania heritage as a centering point for the development of her artistic growth as she consistently create works that are telling her life story. The artist has a sense what she wants to explore and contribute to the world via her art form.” — Jane Klammer, Orange Lutheran High School

Janey McIntire

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“Janey is someone who has an undeniable talent and desire to learn everything there is about the world of art; specifically, painting techniques and what message she wants to convey with her artwork. It is clearly evident how much Janey has grown as an artist when you view her artwork from her very first paintings to now. Janey is a versatile artist; her current landscape painting exhibits a brand new complexity in technique by creating strong reflected lighting using thick impasto paint. Janey always has a unique vision and voice woven into her paintings, and she is extremely imaginative and creative as well.” — Kevin Kowalski, Esperanza High School

Samira Mehrinfar

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“She made an immediate impression on me with her joy in creating art, learning everything she could, and inspiring students around her with her incredible artistry and contagious enthusiasm. Samira is incredibly gifted, and enthusiastic and has created sophisticated and meaningful artwork. She has grown tremendously as an artist over the past few years I have taught her. She puts in countless hours, in order to tackle artistic problems, developing intricate, complex, and beautiful solutions that took the viewer into other realms or revealed multiple possibilities.” — Karen Carrie, Fairmont Preparatory Academy

Jasmine Mercado-Cruz

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“I would say their determination to strive for excellence in their art-making is admirable. They help me assist and mentor other AP art students and art club volunteers. Jasmine skillfully helps me articulate the craft of fine art and helps them conceptualize it at a college level. She has an eye for capturing the essence of the subject matter and her attention to detail is refined. Jasmine is talented, a team player, patient, and hardworking.” — Marjorie Brown, Buena Park High School

Melat Miranda-Ramirez

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“Mimi has incredible drive and a clear voice in her work. She is an extremely talented artist who is constantly striving to grow and elevate her work. She is unafraid to take risks, accept feedback, or be vulnerable, which makes her a force to be reckoned with. Mimi is a true artist, always reflecting on her personal experiences to try and find connections to those around her.” — Jillian Rogers, Woodbridge High School

Sofia Mottesi

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“Sofia is an exceptional student. She has always loved to pursue painting and drawing. She draws inspiration from the people around her, specifically her family and friends who she loves. You can see her passion for others in her work. Sofia has strong painting skills. She takes time to work through her concepts and uses clean brushstrokes on each of her compositions. Her attention to detail is amazing.” — Leah Dawson, Crean Lutheran High School

Kristina Park

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“She clearly loves art, and she clearly has skills that she has developed on her own behalf. … Kristina has a love for color, and it shows in her paintings as well as her drawings. Her expressive line and life-like representations are vibrant in color and movement. She has the ability to express her ideation in a clear, distinct style that is truly her own.” — Keli Marchbank, Costa Mesa High School

Tina N. Pham

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“I have known and worked with Tina for over 3 years and I have witnessed a shy, remarkably talented young woman grow into a versatile, creative artist with excellent drawing and painting skills who despite many challenges has produced a diverse and significant body of artworks. …Tina “lives art” more than any other student I have known. It is with great pleasure to nominate such an outstanding artist – we wish we had 100 Tina’s in our classrooms.” — Stephanie McManus, Garden Grove High School

Madeleine Rae Prado

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“Madeline Prado is an absolutely dedicated art student who is constantly drawn into what I call the art practice. She has an unfettered vision of people and portraits, woodland creatures. A fantasy world that blends seamlessly with the real world. Not quite surreal, not quite real, not quite supernatural or woodland it has a very personal and tangible vision. …It is clear that she is a lifelong artist.” – Lauren Anderson, Fountain Valley High School

Valeria Romero

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“Valeria Romero has the confidence, talent, and work ethic of a real artist. … Her specialty is drawing portraits; her favorite subject, the Beatles. Most of my time teaching drawing to high school students is spent on such technical topics as careful observation, perspective, and command of materials. These fundamentals are mere springboards for Valeria, however, so many of her projects demonstrate good artistic choices, whether or not they follow my lesson samples. She is that inspiring student who brings to her work qualities of intuition and talent that are not so easily taught.” — Kent Baker, Capistrano Valley High School

Lola Ryan

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“I have witnessed that she not only is a talented visual artist but also has a strong character. Lola has good character by wanting to volunteer her time as an art teacher for disadvantaged children. She also told me before that she wanted to help young children have the opportunity to create and learn art and have the opportunities they might not have had otherwise.” — Dylan Trumbull, Unity Middle College High School

London San Luis

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“In all her time with us. London is one of those students that performs at the highest level of any students that I have seen in my career. Equal parts charming, and thoroughly driven, she is truly an individual among artists and their ilk. Working in creative teams is integral to our pedagogy and London has been an asset to each team she is on, bringing her all to each project.” — Patrick Williams, Orange County School of the Arts

Merced Michelle Santamaria

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“Merced has a creative, beautiful soul. Her artwork has depth and emotion. She created a huge 10 foot-by-10 foot canvas of Frida Kahlo, dedicating several Saturdays and hours afterschool to complete it. This canvas now graces our main hallway.” — Judith Westing, Santa Ana High School

Sarina Sarrafi

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“There are so many wonderful qualities I can tell you about Sarina and her artwork. This girl has a signature style that cannot be mistaken. Her strong vision and meticulous painting have materialized in a portfolio filled with unique color combinations, comical and sometimes, dreary characters, and bold patterns that fill the viewer with wonder. Her work has a narrative and is connected to what everyone inevitably must face … growing up.” — Jillian Rogers, Woodbridge High School

Agata Shamis

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“Agata is beyond her years in understanding how an artist works and thinks and her work reflects this maturity. She is incredibly fluid in her style and approach to paintings. She is also incredibly teachable and eager to learn and take information from the world around her and the professionals she comes in contact with.” – Jamie Kough, Laguna Beach High School

Kelly Grace Sherak

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“Kelly is a self-motivated artist. She plans ahead for her pieces and looks to a variety of well known artists as inspiration for her work, e.g. Chuck Close, etc. However, Kelly works independently so if another vision is more moving to her at the moment she will definitely divert her creativity to another inspiration. She has a list of the next inspired works she would like to complete and is always on the move as far as her artistic energy.” — Pamela Toomey, Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Taron Sohn

“Taron is an artist of exceptional skill and diverse capabilities. He can work in ceramics, 2D design, and traditional drawing and painting with confidence and ease. This “Jack of all trades” has a unique style that includes characters that can be dark and cynical or cute and cuddly. Taron can have a dark sense of humor in his work as well that is intriguing and relatable but sometimes shocking.” — Jillian Rogers, Woodbridge High School

Nora Tang

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“Nora Tang possesses a spark for art that comes once in a blue moon — an unshakeable dedication and quiet determination. When she realized that sophomore year, requirements at our school would not allow her to take art classes, she approached me asking how she could stay involved. From this conversation, she helped me create what is now our Visual Arts Board, a group of students passionate about art and its visibility on campus and in the community.” — Kearci Moir Thompson, Portola High School

Cheungwan Wang

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“Amy approaches every assigned art project with enormous forethought and detailed planning. She always creates a project that is layered, complicated and extremely detailed. Her works often focus on her family background and her exploration of her personal development and also the environment. Her pieces are sophisticated and painstaking elaborate in detail. In her constant efforts to meet (and exceed) OCSA standards.” — Paige Oden, Orange County School of the Arts

Melody Wu

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“Melody works very hard in the painting studio and she is constantly growing as a fine artist. Her drawing skills and her understanding of atmospheric color make her paintings stand out in any exhibit. Her paintings are rich with tonal values and lush color and you can see this artist’s control of the painted scene.” — Paige Oden, Orange County School of the Arts

Zhuoyan Xie

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“Ryan grasps complex concepts quickly and interprets these ideas in his own work. He has grown exponentially in both his painting and drawing skills and his understanding of the human form. He is open to constructive criticism and approaches new ideas and techniques with enthusiasm. He has a unique and diverse point of view and tremendous imagination.” – Therese Conte, Pacific Academy

Joanne Xu

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“Kwan (Joanne) Xu …has put the time in throughout her high school career, developing both her technical skills and creativity. … She loves to tell stories and embed history in her art with the techniques she chooses. Humility and gentleness characterize Kwan’s response to her classmates as they are often enthralled with her creations.” — Jeannie Mooney, Orange Lutheran High School

Mariam Youssef

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“Mariam has demonstrated immense growth over the four years she has been my student. She exhibits complexity in technique, eloquence in speaking about her art, and she has a strong aptitude in a variety of painting styles and mediums. Mariam has always had a unique vision and fearless voice that she has expressed through her paintings since her freshman year. She always exhibits a strong sense of imagination in conveying deep intellectual content in her artwork.” — Lynn Magnin, Esperanza High School

Tiantian Yu

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“Jessica is a creative leader among her peers. Her eye for design, photography, and her painting skills are beyond her years. … She has demonstrated her leadership and compassion through her willingness to serve. Jessica’s thoughtfulness, resourcefulness, and ability to focus her energy makes for a teachable student and learner. She is skilled in listening, understanding, and having an open mind. Jessica’s creative spirit and passion for storytelling is evident in her work.” – Kate Doss, Crean Lutheran High School

SCULPTING and OTHER 3D

Tessa Bloom

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“Her hands form sculptures that speak to the emotions that she feels in her soul. She is working through essential questions that guide her work. Ever present in the forefront of her current work, she asks the viewers who see her sculptural pieces to ponder, ‘How can I express what my emotions mean to me and how they feel to me? Do people understand what I am trying to inflict with my art? Do people relate to my art or do they experience the theme of each piece differently?’” — Jane Klammer, Orange Lutheran High School

Drake Hammond

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“There are plenty of skilled artists in high school, but to stand out an artist needs versatility and style. This is where Drake excels. Drake’s versatility is on display with each sculpture he creates. He has the ability to apply a variety of techniques and materials to create his 3-D sculptures. With his complex sculptures come a variety of challenges, but he is an amazing problem solver that thinks outside the box to find solutions. These abilities complement his creativity which result in sculptures that are admired by his peers.” — Jeff Schumerth, Yorba Linda High School

Kyra Kirsch

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“Kyra was a student that quickly showed her passion for the arts through her enthusiasm to continue to grow her talent in her work. It was also in those younger years that I noticed perhaps one of Kyra’s greatest assets. That is her deep compassion and empathy for others which she gave freely on her own and without judgment or encouragement. And for that, Kyra has been an endless source of inspiration for me both professionally and personally. Kyra has demonstrated a willingness to explore her creative side without boundaries. She has put in the added extra steps to see that her artwork has the success that goes outside of the classroom studio time.” — Jackie Ames, Costa Mesa High School

Henry Mack

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“Henry has exhibited exemplary skills as a designer and illustrator, and has put his skills to use creating logos and graphics for his small business venture. I have nominated Henry Mack for his outstanding design portfolio and for his obvious passion for the work and the process of creating 3D art.” — Kevin Robertson, El Dorado High School

Nadia Medina

“Nadia is a versatile 3D artist, demonstrating talent in fiber arts, paper sculpture, and ceramic sculpture (not to mention drawing & painting). Before beginning a project, she spends time carefully researching her idea by examining possible techniques and styles that would support her idea. As she works, she continually re-evaluates her process, making adjustments as needed to create the optimal outcome. Her technique is very careful and deliberate, paying special attention to small details that add visual interest to the design.” — Anna Sanders, La Habra High School

Marley Helena Montoya

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“Marley is a deeply creative student, who draws upon a wide range of inspirations and styles when creating her artworks. She always goes beyond the techniques and skills taught in class by independently researching how to do more advanced techniques, which she then incorporates into her projects. As an artist, she works methodically, sketching out a variety of ideas and designs before selecting one to go with, then plotting out the sequence of steps needed to make her project. As she works, she reassesses her design as needed, making adjustments and improvements.” — Anna Sanders, La Habra High School

Lily Nguyen

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“Lily, like me, has a good degree of artistic ADD and moves passionately from medium to medium organically. Today it might be traditional drawing or canvas painting, tomorrow, graphic design or digital illustration, and ceramics and sculpture the next. To me, this expanding, exploratory path is exactly what high school should provide and Lily has exceptionally embraced, enjoyed, and executed this approach.” — Eric Keawekane, Los Amigos High School

Emma Purdy

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“I met Emma last year on Zoom. She shined on camera in this difficult time and had tenacity. She made such outstanding projects at home without any help and would always surprise me with her work! … She wants to pursue a career in the arts and has shown exceptional creativity and resilience. She works in a variety of mediums and is also working with fiber arts.” — Somer Selway, Laguna Beach High School