An art exhibition of oil paintings by students of local artist Bettie Nieuwoudt opened at the Bright Street Gallery mid-February, and runs until Saturday March 2. Bettie, who has been teaching at the workshop of The Crafters Inn, situated in the Helderberg Village Walk, for 15 years, currently has eight tutor sessions a week at the shop, including two evening classes. She allows her students a free choice of topics and encourages them to develop a style of their own. Bettie’s art career started some 40 years ago in Zimbabwe, where she was known for her landscape works. On emigrating to De Kelders in 1989, she was inspired to paint seascapes, and her versatility ranges from her land- and seascapes, to flower and portrait studies and animals. Her work is a mixture of realism, impressionism and a touch of the romantic.Â