Yin-Shen Chang picked up a paintbrush in retirement and never put it down. Starting Aug. 8, her watercolors of Taiwanese mountains, streams and forests will fill the Curt Bessette Art Gallery at the Boone County Public Library's Main Library in Burlington.

The free exhibit runs through Sept. 10.

Chang taught herself the medium without formal training, drawn in by what she describes as watercolor's unpredictable nature. Through years of independent study, she developed a style inspired by the landscapes of her native Taiwan and by the work of Taiwanese landscape photographer Hsin-Hsien Chong.

The paintings on display capture scenes she left behind long ago. According to the library's announcement, her artwork reflects a desire to reconnect with Taiwan's natural beauty and share it with others.

Among the works visitors will find: a footbridge with frost-dusted branches arching overhead, a shallow stream with sunlit yellow boulders beside swirling canyon walls, a forest waterfall cascading over moss-covered rocks into a frothy splash pool and a grand interior hall beneath a massive stained-glass dome with illuminated blue and red-orange pillars.

The gallery, located on the first floor of the Main Library at 1786 Burlington Pike, features work by regional and national artists and gives local creators a chance to display and sell their pieces. It is named for Curt Bessette, a Florence resident and former library board trustee known by peers as "the Artist" for his drawing and painting.

Chang's show follows a June exhibit by Juanita Mills, another self-taught watercolorist who began painting at age 83. The gallery has made a habit of spotlighting artists who found their creative voice later in life.

The exhibit is free and open during regular library hours. More information is available at bcpl.org/bessette-gallery.