Queenscliff Art students take a leap

Present and former students of award-winning local artist Nell Frysteen will show their work as part of an exhibition at Queenscliffe Neighbourhood House Gallery.

The exhibition is part of this year’s Bellarine Arts Trail and will run until November 8.

Ms Frysteen has extensive experience across a wide variety of creative mediums and is well- regarded within the art world.

She has been teaching and mentoring emerging artists for more than forty years.

“I try and have everyone paint to the way they want to paint rather than following a specific style,” Ms Frysteen said.

This approach is reflected in the exhibition, with her students showcasing a wide variety of artistic practices

“There’s collages, there’s watercolours, there’s colour inks, there’s oils, there’s pastels,” Ms Frysteen said.

“They’ve covered a broad range of subject and media.”

Titled Taking Flight, the exhibition celebrates the growth of Ms Frysteen’s students.

“We were thinking of them as little fledglings leaving the nest,” she said.

“They’re growing up and leaving the nest and doing their own thing.

“[The exhibition means] taking a big leap for most of them, because a lot of them have never put work into a frame before.”

Ms Frysteen will also host a free oil painting demonstration at Queenscliffe and District Neighbourhood House on November 5 at 11am.

“I love colour and I like having recognisable subject matter, but I like interpreting that in a very contemporary manner,” Ms Frysteen said.

“I’m not a traditional realist doing a traditional still life, but I like to try and find different viewpoints and different subject matter.

“The emphasis on all my work is with colour and I try to get that through to students.”

The Taking Flight exhibition is open daily from 11am-4pm and runs from October 8 – November 8.

Entry is free and all works are for sale.