Colette began her art studies in 1990, later completing a Bachelor in Fine Arts at the National Art School in 2003. Paintings have featured in the Sydney Morning Herald “Critics’ Picks”, Daily Telegraph Archibald Prize and Essentials Magazine and are currently held in private collections in Australia and internationally.
"From the very beginning of my art career I've been drawn to the beauty of form, whether it be human or animals.
Since moving to the country full time, my inspiration has come from my surroundings. The beauty of the countryside and the animals around me inform my paintings.
As with most of my work, I love mixing realistic images with abstraction- creating an environment that is both familiar and yet slightly unusual."
“Over the last five years my focus has been on animal portraiture that is based on people.
Over the last nine months I've been working on a series of portrait paintings using sheep as my subjects, but with a twist. They are based on people I know, or know about.
Using the principals of human portraiture, I wanted to create a vocabulary of gestures and looks which seem to echo our own physical characteristics and personality traits. Ones that remind us of ourselves. Where the viewer finding it strange may also find it strangely familiar too.
As in the previous animal portraiture work, I have once again created knitted landscapes as the background, but in this instance instead of using landscapes that surround me, I've created landscapes that the people live in, or have had a connection to through their own art practice.”
Education
2003 – National Arts School, Bachelor of Fine Arts
Commendations & Projects:
- Private collections across Australia and Internationally
- 2015 – Semi Finalist Doug Moran Portrait Prize
- Painting Featured in the Sydney Morning Herald “Critics’ Picks”
Recent Exhibitions
2022 – ‘LUMINE’, Gang Gang Gallery, NSW
2020 - ‘Beauty of The Beast’, Gang Gang Gallery, NSW
2019 – ‘Through A Woman’s Perspective’, Gang Gang Gallery, NSW
