“Gardens Above and Below” is the next solo exhibition at the Buenaventura Art Association’s downtown Ventura gallery, featuring paintings by Carol Simson in watercolors on paper and acrylics on canvas.

“It is actually gardens aboveground and underwater scenes from Monterey Bay Aquarium,” she said of the May 21-June 15 show that will include 16 recent works ranging from 15 inches square to 40 by 30 inches.

Simson, a Ventura artist and longtime National Watercolor Society member, will attend an opening reception from 4-7 p.m. May 25 and will be discussing her work during First Fridays gallery crawl, 5-8 p.m. on June 7.

Born in Fargo and raised on a North Dakota farm, she moved to Ventura in 1974 with her husband and two sons. Simson was widowed in 1989 and two years later discovered her talent and passion for art at Ventura College, studying under such noted local artists and educators as Gerd Koch, Hiroko Yoshimoto and Carlyle Cooper, among others. She graduated in 1996 with associate degrees in fine art and general liberal arts.

“I am a representational as well as an abstract artist, “Simson said. “I paint mostly watercolor at this time but I have painted in acrylic, mixed media and oil,” primarily from photos she takes on her travels.

“I enjoy the entire process, especially the layering of one transparent color over another,” said Simson, who said the most challenging aspect is “finishing a painting. I sometimes have four or five pieces going at one time, so it gets hairy at times.”

Her favorite subjects are florals and landscapes, and since 1999 her paintings have been exhibited and earned awards in many prestigious area venues. Simson’s works are in numerous private and corporate collections in the U.S. and Europe.

The Buenaventura Gallery, at 700 E. Santa Clara St., is open noon-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, visit the Buenaventura Art Association website at www.buenaventuragallery.org. The gallery phone number is 648-1235.