Colleen is an Australian-American artist currently working in oils, pastel and acrylic. She can been seen whizzing by a city near you in the GGMV or Groovy Green Mini Van! Workshops available from beginning to advanced. Still life, florals, portraits,and more.
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Things have been busy lately. I reworked my website and then decided what I had chosen was wayyyyy too busy and clashed with my artwork. Putting Paint Shop Pro brushes with swirls in my hands was too much of a good thing, I went crazy with those and put them on everything! So it's gone now and I have toned things down a lot and returned to a white background to once again make the artwork the focus.
Speaking of artwork, I have been getting a few emails from impatient collectors wanting first look at my new pieces. I will be sending out my usual announcements and will share them with you then. They, like Christmas, are coming! My oil paintings take considerably longer than my pastel pieces due to drying time in between layers, brush cleaning taking longer than hand washing etc!!
Ok, back to the studio then!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Panels
In my ongoing search for the right booth setup for upcoming shows I have compared 
all manner of products and solutions. I already own an EZup canopy which I purchased from the Flourish company a few years back. It's still new in the bag AND it is supposed to be a heavier weight than the EZups that were available from SAMS. I've been told by several artists that most show "beginners" use these as they are less expensive BUT, I had better be prepared to purchase an upgrade as the EZups are not as stable as most in bad weather. I'll probably buy 
a Show Off canopy which ALSO have the option of purchasing their own set of mesh panels!!! Too many options I tell you.
Initially I thought I would just purchase the mesh panels that fit the EZup but since I do intend to do the suggested upgrade to a more sturdy booth in the coming year I decided against the mesh panels but for a couple of reasons. First off, I didn't want to be tied to my EZup booth because of the panels and I decided that the Pro Panels would be wor
th the 1200 or so dollars I needed to lay out since I could use them at both outdoor and indoor shows, thereby providing greater use of what I own instead of needing two differing setups.
Now I have to decide if it is really a savings on the shipping by driving down to Dallas to collect my panels once my order is ready. You do need to realize that should you decide to do this, you will be required to pay around 8.25% sales tax in Dallas. Still my minivan gets incredible mileage (the only upside to driving an ugly green MOM VAN!!!) so I should do the trip on one tank each way. The shipping was to be a couple of hundred dollars so the fuel savings should offset the shipping cost, despite the sales tax of around 99.00 or so. Anyway, will have to give this more thought. Perhaps it is time better spent at the easel!
all manner of products and solutions. I already own an EZup canopy which I purchased from the Flourish company a few years back. It's still new in the bag AND it is supposed to be a heavier weight than the EZups that were available from SAMS. I've been told by several artists that most show "beginners" use these as they are less expensive BUT, I had better be prepared to purchase an upgrade as the EZups are not as stable as most in bad weather. I'll probably buy a Show Off canopy which ALSO have the option of purchasing their own set of mesh panels!!! Too many options I tell you.Initially I thought I would just purchase the mesh panels that fit the EZup but since I do intend to do the suggested upgrade to a more sturdy booth in the coming year I decided against the mesh panels but for a couple of reasons. First off, I didn't want to be tied to my EZup booth because of the panels and I decided that the Pro Panels would be wor
th the 1200 or so dollars I needed to lay out since I could use them at both outdoor and indoor shows, thereby providing greater use of what I own instead of needing two differing setups.Now I have to decide if it is really a savings on the shipping by driving down to Dallas to collect my panels once my order is ready. You do need to realize that should you decide to do this, you will be required to pay around 8.25% sales tax in Dallas. Still my minivan gets incredible mileage (the only upside to driving an ugly green MOM VAN!!!) so I should do the trip on one tank each way. The shipping was to be a couple of hundred dollars so the fuel savings should offset the shipping cost, despite the sales tax of around 99.00 or so. Anyway, will have to give this more thought. Perhaps it is time better spent at the easel!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Revving up for the New Year
Whew! What a whirlwind Christmas was. Sort of glad it's all over actually. Our house is beginning to look somewhat normal again thankfully. The cat, Indie, can quit bashing the ornaments from the tree and all over the house. The dogs can resume their positions on the couches now we have less intruders or should I call them visitors to share the seating with.
We actually had a white Christmas here in Oklahoma. It snowed/iced two days before, melted off and then snowed the two days after Christmas right when my daughter was due to leave of course. She made it home safely which is great.
I have been invited to be the featured artist at the North Main Gallery in Mt. Vernon Ohio during February so I am working on my first collection of smaller oil paintings for this show. This will coincide with a pastel workshop to be offered on Saturday February 2nd at the Plum Alley Studio or we may move to a larger space close by if needed to accommodate everyone.
A list of required materials will be posted here, on my website and available through the gallery also. My workshops are fun and informative. I don't hold back all my tricks of the trade as I believe we have a duty to share what we know with others which can only enhance their artistic pursuits. I have had the joy of attending workshops and seminars with many great artists and have come away with some great snippets and techniques, making the workshop very worthwhile.
Today the sun is shining here in Oklahoma and I hope to begin a new work featuring citrus fruits. There is something about a juicy orange in the winter that begs to be painted. I'll post pics here as I progress.
HAVE A GREAT SATURDAY Y'ALL... I'm now bilingual Aussie Okie.. :-)
Cheers,
Colleen
We actually had a white Christmas here in Oklahoma. It snowed/iced two days before, melted off and then snowed the two days after Christmas right when my daughter was due to leave of course. She made it home safely which is great.
I have been invited to be the featured artist at the North Main Gallery in Mt. Vernon Ohio during February so I am working on my first collection of smaller oil paintings for this show. This will coincide with a pastel workshop to be offered on Saturday February 2nd at the Plum Alley Studio or we may move to a larger space close by if needed to accommodate everyone.
A list of required materials will be posted here, on my website and available through the gallery also. My workshops are fun and informative. I don't hold back all my tricks of the trade as I believe we have a duty to share what we know with others which can only enhance their artistic pursuits. I have had the joy of attending workshops and seminars with many great artists and have come away with some great snippets and techniques, making the workshop very worthwhile.
Today the sun is shining here in Oklahoma and I hope to begin a new work featuring citrus fruits. There is something about a juicy orange in the winter that begs to be painted. I'll post pics here as I progress.
HAVE A GREAT SATURDAY Y'ALL... I'm now bilingual Aussie Okie.. :-)
Cheers,
Colleen
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
One good thing about having families in two countries is the prolonged celebration it brings us. My parents, brother and most of my extended family still live in Australia which is about 17 hours ahead of the USA at this time of year. So I wait for it to get to around 5am over there and call my brother's house to ensure his teenage daughters know it is time to wake up and begin their Christmas Day. I'm good like that! :-)
Of course this does draw retaliatory treatment from my brother Terry who will return the favour when Christmas morning finally gets to us. He doesn't get as much joy now that all three of our girls have gone off to college and are not here for him to rouse. That coupled with the option of turning down the volume on my telephone ringer means I'm not playing fair with him. It's to be expected though. Even if my brother and I can't be in the same country we can still torment one another!
On the homefront, we did enjoy a nice quiet morning with my daughter Andrea who got here safely from Nebraska. I have to laugh about the fact that she made it all 440 miles only to not be able to find each other in the Walmart parking lot where we were to meet up. Perpective is an interesting thing. She had a whole different outlook on the area from her vantage point than I at the other end of the parking lot. So much so, that I really thought we were in two different Walmarts.
After opening our gifts and taking some photos for the album, Andrea (who is in culinary school) cooked breakfast for us all. My husband's family will be joining us this afternoon for a meal and shared enjoyment. My fingers are twitching to get to my art table and begin creating a series of new paintings. I find that the closing of an old year and the dawning of a new one recharges my batteries and creative juices.
May all of you have a fabulous day today whether you are surrounded by family or enjoying a more quiet moment.
Merry Christmas to all,
Of course this does draw retaliatory treatment from my brother Terry who will return the favour when Christmas morning finally gets to us. He doesn't get as much joy now that all three of our girls have gone off to college and are not here for him to rouse. That coupled with the option of turning down the volume on my telephone ringer means I'm not playing fair with him. It's to be expected though. Even if my brother and I can't be in the same country we can still torment one another!
On the homefront, we did enjoy a nice quiet morning with my daughter Andrea who got here safely from Nebraska. I have to laugh about the fact that she made it all 440 miles only to not be able to find each other in the Walmart parking lot where we were to meet up. Perpective is an interesting thing. She had a whole different outlook on the area from her vantage point than I at the other end of the parking lot. So much so, that I really thought we were in two different Walmarts.
After opening our gifts and taking some photos for the album, Andrea (who is in culinary school) cooked breakfast for us all. My husband's family will be joining us this afternoon for a meal and shared enjoyment. My fingers are twitching to get to my art table and begin creating a series of new paintings. I find that the closing of an old year and the dawning of a new one recharges my batteries and creative juices.
May all of you have a fabulous day today whether you are surrounded by family or enjoying a more quiet moment.
Merry Christmas to all,
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