Former Maple Ridge city councillor Cheryl Ashlie has taken up painting.
The constituency assistant to MLA Doug Bing is exhibiting her work for the first time at a café in Osprey Village.
Ashlie has always had a love for art, but it was only when she was elected to council in 2009 that she realized she needed an outlet – a personal enjoyment outside of work and family.
After running into local artist Shari Pratt, owner of Creative Kaos, she signed up for a beginners class in acrylics.
“I loved it and it got me right back into where now I have something, a hobby I love doing,” said Ashlie.
She likens the feeling to running.
“When you run, you can’t think bad thoughts. It’s just a great relief, and I find the same of painting. As soon as I start painting, my brain just goes to another place that just allows everything to be OK,” she said.
Six of her brightly coloured acrylics will be on display at the JIA PLUS Fusion Cafe.
Her choice in medium was a natural fit for her busy life.
“Acrylic has a lot of the properties of oil in the way of the longevity of how long it will last. You can correct it a lot quicker, you can change your thoughts on what you are going on the canvas a lot quicker. Oil you have to wait too long,” she said.