Young Westlake artist is best in show
By Jennifer Ludlow
Acorn Staff Writer

LISA ADAMS/The Acorn BUDDING YOUNG ARTIST--Alex Mulhern, 13, kneels beside one of his works of art called "Lake Como" that won first place, best of class and best of division at the Ventura County Fair. Mulhern, a Colina Middle School student, walked away with eight awards for his oil paintings and mosaic works.

First Place Blue Ribbons, Judges Awards, and First in Class awards are nothing new for 13-year old Westlake Village artist, Alex Mulhern.

Alex, an eighth grader at Colina Middle School, recently captured eight awards for his oil paintings and mosaic art entry in the youth division at the Ventura County Fair.

His entries this year included five oil paintings entered in the Fine Arts category, and a mosaic entered in the Other Fine Arts category in the Youth III division for sixth to eighth graders.

He won a First Place blue ribbon, First in Division and First in Class for his painting of Lake Como. First in Class is the highest award given for the Youth Division, including high school, according to Alex’s mother, Kate Mulhern.

Another of Alex’s paintings also won a First Place blue ribbon and Judges Award. His Byzantine cross mosaic, which was a school project last year, also took a First Place blue ribbon, First in Division and First in Class.

This year’s awards come after his artwork won nine awards in last year’s Ventura County Fair competition.

When asked what Alex likes about painting he says simply, " It’s fun to paint and it’s relaxing."

Alex started taking painting lessons when he was 11 years old from teacher Michael Ward of Agoura. According to Alex’s mother, Ward has consistently painted above his age level, and he attributes this to his ability to focus, absorb instruction, and above all, his intense love of the oil medium.

During his first year of lessons, Alex wanted to take the summer off from painting. Not wanting him to lose interest in an area where he clearly showed talent, his mother, Kate, wrote to artist Thomas Kincaid and sent him pictures of some of her son’s renditions of Kincaid’s paintings. She did this in hopes Kincaid would write back and encourage Alex to keep up with his painting.

Sure enough, Kincaid sent Alex a letter in which he complemented him on his paintings and urged him to continue to study and paint.

Alex says he plans to continue painting indefinitely and would like to paint for a living when he grows up.

Although visitors at the Ventura County Fair wanted to buy Alex’s work, his mom says she isn’t ready to part with any of his paintings. His work currently lines the walls of the Mulhern home. "We are running out of walls," she said. "But we still have a few to go."