The Pearl Ellis Gallery will host Heather Hughson’s first solo exhibition in Comox this month.The show will run from Feb. 7 to 19 with a reception Feb. 12 between 1 and 4 p.m.Hughson grew up in a small town in rural England and emigrated to Ottawa with her parents when she was 13. Ever travelling west, she moved to Vancouver in 1981 and then to Campbell River in 1986.Hughson has dabbled in art all her life, but it wasn’t till she came to Campbell River that she was able to spend more time painting. She initially worked in water colour but has now devoted the last five years to acrylics. She also spent a year creating pen and ink drawings. A passion for photography emerged from the need to record the many images to later work on back at her studio.The travels with her husband around the logging roads of Vancouver Island were an inspiration — from experiencing the solitude and sense of history in a semi-deserted fishing or cannery villages to coming across a patch of wild flowers deep in the forest. “Of course,” Hughson says, “inspiration is all around us, from looking out towards the mountains on the mainland to hiking the trails next door – the scenery around the Campbell River area never stops to amaze!”Hughson has participated in many group shows including: Pearl Ellis Gallery’s Members’ Show and Christmas Show; Campbell River Art Gallery/Arts Council’s Annual Members Show; Tidemark Theatre Art Gallery; a Joint Show with Jane Super, Catherine MacLeod, and Carrie Mulcahy (2009); Campbell River Arts Council’s Annual Photo Show; and various other shows at the Sybil Andrews Cottage.She is an “in-house” artist at Still Water Books & Art in Campbell River. She also makes cards and bookmarks from her paintings that sell in the Campbell River Art Gallery, the Museum at Campbell River and Still Water Books.The Pearl Ellis Gallery is located at 1729 Comox Ave. in Comox.  The hours of operation are Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. (the gallery is closed Mondays).  Admission is free. The gallery is a non-profit public gallery and new members are always welcome.For details, go to www.pearlellisgallery.com.— Pearl Ellis Gallery

Comox Valley Record