Wikipedia’s definition of an artist. ‘An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art.’

 

Colleen is a lover of all creative arts.  She earned her BFA in Montreal, Quebec, and has had her corporate career as a graphic designer for the past 20 years, but remains a sculptor at heart. While living in Vietnam from 2007-2012, Colleen had devoted most of her time and energy to exploring and experimenting with alternate art forms.  “Art is my passion,” Colleen admits.  “I love creative expression in so many art forms.  I particularly enjoy experimenting with mix-media and using different materials and techniques to create an aesthetic whether it has a purpose or not.”

 

Colleen’s involvement with non-profit community projects in Vietnam presented her with unexpected possibilities.  Initially creating much of the organization’s print media, she was soon involved in developing the product line.  (The NGO strategy is to help rural village women earn money by teaching them to make decorative and functional items that can be sold in NGO supported shops in urban areas.)  Drawing on past experience and new experimentation, Colleen began to create artistically unique pieces from low-cost materials readily available in rural Mekong communities. She then taught village women in Vietnam and Cambodia how to produce similar items.

 

“But living in Vietnam has opened my eyes to a whole new range of visuals and rekindled my interest in photography or more specifically - photoART.”  Colleen says her focus is not on the part of photography that requires sophisticated cameras and expensive lenses, but prefers the digital process that transforms everyday photography into artistic imagery. "Each piece I develop is a one of a kind art. Even if you write the formula down it is hard to replicate, maybe that's why I like it so much". Colleen has exhibited and sold her photoART in Vietnam, Cambodia, USA and Canada.