<p>A closeup of a painting by Aneela Fazal.</p>

CANNON BEACH The Cannon Beach History Center and Museum will open a new exhibit featuring international impressionist Aneela Fazal at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21.

The exhibit, titled Brushworks, will open with an artists reception with wine, music and hors doeuvres.

Fazal was selected from among 122 international artists to showcase with the Global Art Agency at the Gaudi Casa Batllo in Spain. Her piece Wilting was awarded second prize for Best Global Artist at the showcase. Her work was chosen because of her abstract expressionism and her ability to lift spirits with her influential painting technique.

Despite having no formal art training, Fazal has been enamored with art and creating something that people might be drawn to. Having been an artist as long as I can remember, I love to paint and create, and I couldnt live without color surrounding me, she says.

Fazal, who is originally from Pakistan, creates pieces with no shortage of color. She integrates warm, rich and bright colors to reinvent the world around her. Her influence is abstract expressionism and impressionism.

Fazal attended school to study apparel design, and she worked with Nike and several well-known professional athletes. She initially took up painting as a type of therapy.

Since receiving the GAA award, she has been interviewed by Emerging Artist Magazine, RAW Magazine and by the Global Arts Agency.

The Cannon Beach History Center and Museum is located at 1387 S. Spruce St.