Jim Bates wins Art of the Avocado

FALLBROOK — Winners of the 2007 Art of the Avocado Contest were announced on April 13. The first place award ($300) went to Jim Bates for “On Top of the World,” a delightful image of a black Labrador retriever enjoying a moment of relaxation on top of a bin of avocados – a hands-down favorite. Second place honors ($200) went to Carol Zaleski for her “Karen’s Avocados,” a collage of appealing avocados, and Penny Fedorchak’s “Fallbrook Avocados at Sunset” took the honors ($100) for third place.

The winning entries are now on display at The Lace Apron, 118 North Main Avenue, and are available for viewing during regular business hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thirty-two artists participated in the Art of the Avocado and all their entries are available for viewing at The Lace Apron. Stop in, have lunch and admire the fabulous art submitted by local artists! If you’d like to vote for a People’s Choice award, do come back to The Lace Apron on April 22, during the Avocado Festival, and submit your ballot.

The People’s Choice Award will be announced at 4 p.m. on festival day.

The entries were submitted in multiple mediums – watercolor, oil, acrylic, photograph, ceramic, collage, glass, textile and woodworking – and all were based on an avocado theme with a visible avocado somewhere in the work.

George and Gayle Bamber sponsored the Art of the Avocado and donated the prize money for the contest.

“I wanted to make prizes available to recognize artistic efforts,” George Bamber said. “I know personally how hard it is to make a living as an artist, and I thought this would be one small way to recognize our local artisans.”

The three winning artists will be presented with their prizes at the Fallbrook Chamber Sundowner on April 18 at Rio Rico Mexican Restaurant, 5256 South Mission Road.