artist statement

Delicate, ethereal, and finely detailed, Colleen’s works encourage the onlooker to slow, look closely, engage the imagination and connect with the cycle of life around us. Her meticulous art-making process requires her to do the same.

Drawing on a background in horticulture and landscape design, Colleen’s unique art practice is a celebration of nature, both wild and cultivated.

Her delicate three-dimensional paper sculpture and mixed media works are reminiscent of herbarium, entomology and ornithology specimens. Each finely drawn, painted and assembled piece is mounted onto paper using entomology pins, giving the appearance of floating. The delicate nature of the works and transient play of shadow signifies the fragility of the subject.

curriculum vitae

November 2017-current full time artist/garden maker, The Garden Curator

2010-2018 Landscape designer specialising in hand-rendered landscape plans

awards

  • People’s Choice - Favourite Artist Artisans in the Gardens, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney 2023

  • Finalist York Botanic Art Prize, Gallery 152 York WA 2021

  • Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Top 100 Paper Artists 2019 (International)

  • Finalist Little Things Art Prize, Saint Cloche Gallery NSW 2019

  • Finalist Pro Hart Outback Art Prize Broken Hill Regional Gallery NSW 2019

  • Finalist and winner of the Viewer’s Choice Award Little Things Art Prize Saint Cloche Gallery Paddington NSW, 2018

  • Recipient of the TNSW State Medal for Excellence in Horticulture 2010

upcoming exhibitions

  • Heartplace Corner Store Gallery Orange NSW May 2024

solo exhibitions

  • Repose Suki and Hugh Gallery Bungendore NSW 2022

  • In Safe Keeping Corner Store Gallery Orange NSW 2021 (sellout)

  • The Shadow of Wings Suki and Hugh Gallery Bungendore 2020

  • Into the Wilder Corner Store Gallery Orange NSW 2019. (sellout)

duo/group exhibitions

  • Untethered Grace Cossington Smith Gallery Sydney NSW 2022

  • Rekindled Saint Cloche Upstairs Paddington NSW 2019 (with Ingrid Bowen, Samantha Mackie, Jane Gerrish)

  • Essentiae Gallery One88 Katoomba May 2019 (with Peter Worsley)

  • Unfurl Corner Store Gallery Orange NSW 2018 (Inaugural exhibition with sculptor Peter Worsley, sell-out)

exhibitions by invitation or application

  • Artisans in the Gardens Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney 2023

  • Halcyon Days Beautiful Bizarre Magazine USA exhibition, Modern Eden Gallery San Franscisco USA 2022

  • Deep Waters Quirky Fox Gallery, New Zealand 2022

  • Interconnected Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Australian Exhibition, New England Regional Gallery NSW 2022

  • Artisans in the Gardens Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney 2022

  • York Botanic Art Prize Gallery 152 York Western Australia 2022

  • Sculptures in the Garden Rosby Gallery Mudgee 2021

  • Fungi x botanica Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney 2021

  • Here|Now Orange Regional Gallery NSW 2020

  • Locals Only Corner Store Gallery Orange NSW 2020

  • Here|Now Orange Regional Gallery NSW 2019

  • Finalist Pro Hart Outback Art Prize Broken Hill Regional Gallery NSW 2019

  • 8 x 10 Corner Store Gallery Orange NSW 2019

  • Artisans in the Gardens Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney NSW 2018

  • Finalist and peoples choice winner - Little Things Art Prize Saint Cloche Gallery Paddington NSW 2018

  • Blue Corner Store Gallery Orange NSW 2018

  • Just a Square Darling Mills Gallery Mittagong NSW 2018

commissions

  • Numerous private commissions have been undertaken with works held in private collections in Australia and the USA

media

  • Regional Life Magazine feature story 2023

  • Unearthed (New Zealand) feature story 2023

  • Faire Magazine feature story 2022

  • Galah Magazine feature story 2022

  • Beautiful Bizarre Magazine artist profile 2022

  • Better Homes and Gardens Australia TV & Magazine 2022

  • The Makers Story Magazine NZ feature story 2022

  • Graziher Magazine feature story and front cover Autumn 2021

  • Hunting for George feature story 2021

  • Country Style Magazine feature story art issue 2020

  • Cultivating Place podcast (USA) 2020

  • Living Arts Canberra radio interview 2020 and 2022

  • Beautiful Bizarre Magazine top 100 Paper Artists 2020

  • The Garden Clinic publication feature story Autumn 2020 and Autumn 2022

  • Company Podcast, interview with Skye Manson 2019

  • Rural Women's Day Inspiring Rural Women feature 2019

  • The Planthunter Feature story and interview with Georgina Reid 2019

  • Rekindle Podcast panel interview with Robert Gerrish 2019

  • The Gardens Magazine Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens 2018 & 2022

memberships

  • National Association for the Visual Arts