A new month brings a new set of horse-themed art to the South Cariboo Business Centre’s Showcase Gallery with the works of Sheryl Fremlin.
Maintained by the South Cariboo Artist’s Guild the exhibit gives artists a chance to show off their artwork for a month in 100 Mile House. While this was put on hold during the COVID-19 shutdown, it’s since started back up in full swing.
Fremlin is a veteran artist who has been painting steadily since 1985 and draws much of her artistic inspiration from her 30 years of living and working at the Flying U Ranch. Many of her paintings depict the landscapes of the Cariboo, horses and the cowboy lifestyle, which remain her favourite subjects.
She first began painting with watercolours when she was introduced to Margaret Callahan by her mother in law. While she has since passed away, Fremlin said she was a very accomplished watercolour artist in her own right and when Fremlin crossed Green Lake to paint with her, Callahan showed her the basics of the craft. After watching and listening to her, Fremlin said she found she had a knack for it and began to more aggressively pursue her burgeoning art.
Over the next 35 years up to the present day, Fremlin has learned from many artists and taken over 50 painting workshops to expand her skillset. She also attained signature status in the Canadian Society of Painters and Watercolours in 2001.
As time went on she began working more with pastel, oil and acrylic paints but watercolour still remains her favourite medium to work in. Fremlin said this is due to the illumination the paints create on a paper service and the bleed effect she can create with them.
“I love the washes and wet washes because of the excitement of the colours blending together on their own, that I find very fun,” Fremlin said. “I like being able to control it somewhat, as much as you can, I enjoy manipulating the paint and trying to get some depth in the painting.”
This newest exhibit she has put together is called For My Love of Horses and as the name implies is almost exclusively made up of her paintings of horses. She also enjoys playing with light and darkness in her work and hopes that enjoyment is shared by those who view them.
“I really hope they enjoy it and feel some sense of joy from looking at it. We live in such a beautiful world, in the Cariboo particularly and this (exhibit) shows my love of the Cariboo and the ranching community,” Fremlin said.
Art is a window into the soul in Fremlin’s opinion and she hopes that people will appreciate that when viewing her art. Art is also a great way to keep the mind active while having a fun cathartic experience and she said if anyone is looking to try their hand at painting, watercolour is a great place to start.
“It can give you a lifetime of joy and challenges,” Fremlin concluded with a laugh.
