Coeur d'Alene High School art teacher Hanna Kuhns can't say enough about the talent of her students.

"They are producing work at such a high level," she said Tuesday. "It's amazing for their work to be seen. They just blow me away."

Last semester, Kuhns prompted her honors art students to create an art response to all that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic and other events of 2020.

Junior Kenzie Eppey, who turns 17 next week, used acrylic paint to convey a tumultuous America filled with unrest and uncertainty.

"I wanted to place that all in one singular piece," she said. "I first started with the face, I wanted that to tie into everything to represent how people were feeling."

She said she just got into art last year when an injury moved her away from sports.

"I express myself better with art," she said.

Her classmate, sophomore Peyton Blood, had a different take. Her 2020 interpretation is a watercolor creation that is tranquil, with calming blues and greens in a naturescape.

"I was thinking about before, right when COVID hit, what I was doing," she said. "We were out of school so I was kayaking a lot. That's what I would see all the time."

As someone who discovered her artistic talents in middle school, Peyton said it's really cool for young artists to be recognized.

"Usually, nobody really pays attention to art. They're more about sports in school," she said. "It's just being included."

For her, art is a stress-reliever.

"It helps a lot," she said.

Kuhns' class is also working on a collaborative project with fifth-graders at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities. For this project, junior Sophia Granger was working on an illustration of a dragon with brilliant red wings.

She said she really enjoys creating fan art, which is artwork based on popular works of fiction. She posts her creations on her Instagram art account.

"It's totally escapism for me," she said. "I just ignore everything and I zone into it."

Sophia said she would love to pursue art as a profession.

"It would mean so much to me if my art was published," she said. "It could make so many opportunities for me. I'd love to design kids' books. That's my future goal."

Kuhns said art is an exercise in communication.

"For my students to communicate their ideas, their artwork needs to be viewed," she said. "Displaying artwork is the final step in the artistic process. Giving students the opportunity to display their work is not only encouraging to the students, it also allows the community to see what they are making and creating. As their teacher, I am so proud of the time and effort the students put into what they create, and I am so happy they are being recognized for their excellent work."

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This is the first in an ongoing series that will highlight the talents of local student artists. Have a student or a class to feature? Email dweeks@cdapress.com with suggestions.