Crystal Beshara & Shelley Freeman at Arbor Gallery

Crystal Beshara is an award-winning realist painter from Ontario whose work is inspired by her rural upbringing. Working in watercolour, gouache, and oil, she blends fine detail with expressive strokes to explore themes of nature and rural life. An experienced educator and international exhibitor, Crystal also leads painting workshops across North America and Europe.

Shelley Freeman’s artwork explores the hidden, enclosed spaces of nature — caves, rock formations, abandoned mines, and underwater plant life — highlighting depth, texture, and the play between light and dark. Inspired by travels, hiking, and caving, she creates richly layered oil paintings using resins, plaster, and other materials, often over several months. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in public and private collections across Canada, the U.S., and beyond.