Wendy Framst is a local water colour artist and teacher who is the first artist to be showcased in the newly renovated Feature Gallery at Studio 2880. Her exhibit is called In Your Own Time.
The exhibit showcases work she has done during online classes she has conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Online classes are a new way to get us out there painting together," Framst said.
The pieces on display are less complex that her usual work, she added, because they are designed for students.
"These pieces were a way to demonstrate what students could expect to learn during the online courses," Framst explained.
She offers three courses including a beginners' water colour that offered a wide variety of subject matter to peak everyone's interest, such as birdhouse bookmarks, playful goldfish, a sailboat and autumn leaves and mountains.
"Pretty much what's all around me is potential subject matter," Framst said.
During the course, Framst shares where her inspiration has come from and what techniques she's used to create the artwork.
"Many people don't know where to start with water colours and that's my goal is to show them how to start and it's really not as hard as you might think," Framst said.
"The second course is about how to look for layers in glass and how to look for reflections," Framst said. "This uses water colours to their best advantage - very thin glazes of paint to build up into bolder and bolder colours where transitions mimic the smooth surfaces of glass."
The third course that is illustrated in the exhibit is called Fall Harvest and there are four different projects in it.
"I find doing online classes very exciting and beneficial," Framst said. "So the exhibit shows people what they can do under that format."
Framst got her start in teaching virtual classes at the Two Rivers gallery where she's taught for years.
"But this is the first time I'm reaching out across the globe with my classes," she said.
Since the beginners' courses started in April, there have been 675 students from 52 different countries who have participated.
"I'm really honoured and excited to be exhibiting my work in the Feature Gallery," Framst said.
The exhibit goes until Dec. 15.
Studio 2880 is open Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The opening reception that takes place Oct. 15 will go from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to visit, with limits of seven people at a time in the studio.
