Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Featured Artist ~ Letha Colleen



Her Shop ~ Pursuit of Happiness Her Blog ~ Pursuit of Happiness

"I’ve been making stuff with paper since I was a child. Paper dolls, scrapbooks, decoupage… I love cutting things up into a heap of shapes and strips and pieces --- a testament to my destructive streak. Even more fun is the reassembly: I like to hunt through the piles surrounding me at my art table, looking for just the right piece, color or texture to form the memory or daydream that is the piece I am working on --- a testament to my healing streak.

As an adult making art, I am doing what many of us strive to do --- capture the essence of childhood memory and experiences so that I can look at it in comparison to where I am in the current timeline of my life. Many of my pieces feel like pages lifted from a particular experience I had as a child... somewhere around the age of 8 or 9. Being a rabid climber of trees --- often very high trees --- I have a huge mental storehouse of topographical images of backyards, the Puget Sound, the Narrows Bridge and a variety of nearby islands all mixed up and tied to my musings on what I was learning and seeing at the time. This is primarily what you’ll see in my art work: landscapes slightly fractured and segmented by personal mental pathways and their corresponding struggles and/or epiphanies.

In terms of medium I make my art out of new and vintage papers, rusty metal strips, keys, old hardware, watch parts and gears and all manner of random found objects.

I went to art school; I learned color theory, composition, life drawing… my BFA is in Interior Design so in many ways I am also a self taught artist.

I hope to continue to make art, in one form or another, for the rest of my life."

9 comments:

  1. these... are stunningly beautiful. they practically made my heart stop just now.

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  2. Gorgeous combinations of color and texture. I really appreciate her use of found objects...something close to my heart. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy the day! Erin

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  3. these are really wonderful. i love all the textures.

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  4. It's great to see all the textures in your work.I like the mixtures of the first one.

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  5. I agree. All the of color and texture are fabulous!

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  6. wow. I love the hint of steampunk in your work and the colors and the movement which is present. I can't write enough about how much I love your art. It is fantastic. At first my fave was the one with the map, but after looking at each one I cannot pick a favorite, I simply love love love them all. Just came back from your shop and I know for certain that one day I will have a piece of your artwork hanging on my wall :) that is my wish. I am in awe

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  7. A very happy “thank you” for the lovely compliments from you all and a huge thanks to Vicki for her generosity in putting together these spotlights...

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  8. The texture and layers in her work are all just too enticing! Love!

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  9. Fabulous! The colors and textures are so great!
    What talent!

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Thanks so much for your comments. Your thoughts, opinions, and ideas are important to me!

~ Vicki