Being born and raised in the heart of the Okanagan Valley has offered Colleen many areas of inspiration. Her technique is still evolving. Painting realism for the first few years and earning a few awards was inspiring, but the need to push and grow was overwhelming for her at times. Changing her medium to oils at this time was very beneficial and she has never looked back. Using a loose black canvas technique proved quite successful for her in that it added drama to the painting and was a good way to exaggerate the lights and darks in the piece.
Having had the opportunity to spend six months in Costa Rica gave Colleen the opportunity to
study the native people of that country. She was so impressed with how happy they are in their skins, how content they are with what they have, even though it’s so much less than we are accustomed to having. It really showed her the waste that we accumulate and also what we take advantage of. She is trying to show the people as they live their simple, happy lives making “do” with what they have and making it work for them. She has spent a year and a half putting a series of new paintings together that show us that we can live life more simply and happily if we choose.
Leaving the black canvas technique behind, she has moved back to toned canvas and big brushes, where her landscapes, seascapes, and new figurative pieces are coming alive. Teaching classes in black canvas and restricted palette workshops, colour theory classes, and heading up a local art group, keeps her abilities sharp and interesting.
Colleen has memberships in several art organizations. Her work can be found on numerous online Art Societies as well as in private and corporate collections in Canada, the United States, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom, and has been featured in a variety of publications.
What people are saying about my work!
“Great work, Colleen, now with South American cultural content and a broad range of works interconnecting with nature, you are now including cultural concepts in your work. The colours are soft with an essence of quiet nature, away from the human element, where it’s all alive in its own environment. Keep painting and exploring new avenues in your future works.”
Josh Kolay
Dene Tribal Artist
"My gosh, you are doing fantastic painting people - can’t believe how great they look!!!"
Rae Bailey
"You are such an inspiration!"
Unnamed artist
Having had the opportunity to spend six months in Costa Rica gave Colleen the opportunity to
study the native people of that country. She was so impressed with how happy they are in their skins, how content they are with what they have, even though it’s so much less than we are accustomed to having. It really showed her the waste that we accumulate and also what we take advantage of. She is trying to show the people as they live their simple, happy lives making “do” with what they have and making it work for them. She has spent a year and a half putting a series of new paintings together that show us that we can live life more simply and happily if we choose.
Leaving the black canvas technique behind, she has moved back to toned canvas and big brushes, where her landscapes, seascapes, and new figurative pieces are coming alive. Teaching classes in black canvas and restricted palette workshops, colour theory classes, and heading up a local art group, keeps her abilities sharp and interesting.
Colleen has memberships in several art organizations. Her work can be found on numerous online Art Societies as well as in private and corporate collections in Canada, the United States, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom, and has been featured in a variety of publications.
What people are saying about my work!
“Great work, Colleen, now with South American cultural content and a broad range of works interconnecting with nature, you are now including cultural concepts in your work. The colours are soft with an essence of quiet nature, away from the human element, where it’s all alive in its own environment. Keep painting and exploring new avenues in your future works.”
Josh Kolay
Dene Tribal Artist
"My gosh, you are doing fantastic painting people - can’t believe how great they look!!!"
Rae Bailey
"You are such an inspiration!"
Unnamed artist
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This is a full-page write up of my solo show, by Richard McGuire
of the Osoyoos Times. I was very impressed with how he went
about taking photos and, more importantly, the interview itself.
of the Osoyoos Times. I was very impressed with how he went
about taking photos and, more importantly, the interview itself.
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Photos of my work during the show. They looked very good on the gallery walls. The blue wall was painted specially to showcase my Costa Rica paintings and was complimented on by several of the folks who were enjoying the show.