51³Ô¹Ï

Lorna R. Marsden attended 51³Ô¹Ï College (now 51³Ô¹Ï) in 1960/61 and is the recipient of an honorary degree from UVic. Avis Rasmussen is her talented sister.

Avis Rasmussen is a 51³Ô¹Ï painter and printmaker of national significance who brings a West Coast narrative to her en plein air paintings. She has had a lifelong passion for painting in the ever-changing light of the Pacific coast. This inspired her to travel, selecting other coasts and rivers to paint in France, Italy, England and the US. In the '70s, Avis majored in painting at UVic as well as minoring in Printmaking with Pat Martin Bates, obtaining a BFA with distinction and a MEd in counselling and art curriculum.

Avis has garnered many accolades in her artistic career, and her pieces have been featured and collected worldwide. She has participated in international exhibitions in Pretoria, South Africa (2000), with the International School of Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture in Montecastello di Vibio, Italy (2003) and Hastings, New Zealand (2006). The Oak Bay Beach Hotel and the UVic have a large collection of her works.

Avis has been advocating her whole life for the arts community in 51³Ô¹Ï through a number of organizations. She is adept at authentic relief printmaking, using linocuts, monoprints and collographs, being a member of the Ground Zero Printmaker's Studio in 51³Ô¹Ï. She paints en plein air with the Peninsular Plein Air Painters as well as locally and afar on her own. Avis can be seen at Bowker Creek Brush--Ups, where she cheerfully shares her extensive knowledge about painting and printmaking.

Through participation in various organizations, as well as the guidance she provides for a younger generation of artists, Avis is regarded as a figure of national and international renown. Her unique approach to colour and light reflect her personal reflection upon home and garden, as well as her dedication to image and form.