The dictionary defines “ah” as an expression used to describe delight, relief, regret or contempt. Our everyday world is filled to the brim with objects and people and places that demand nothing more of us than the acknowledgment of their existence. In my work I am trying to show you all the “ah” that I see. While my love affair with art started with drawing and oil painting, I have added the medium of collage which has taken me on a meditative and playful path serving as a way to set free my anxiety and cope with the world’s current events. The thread that runs through all my work is a process based in my classical artistic training filtered through my own subconscious spirit and imagination.
BIO
Visual artist Colleen Hammond began her artistic journey following the principles of classical style; centered on notions of elegance, harmony and proportion based on the human body. She studied and graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where she majored in oil painting, and went on to receive a BFA with a major in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania. She continues to pursue the elements of classical drawing through independent coursework. While she focused on figurative painting, in recent years her oil paintings have moved toward abstract realism, though the subject remains recognizable, color, rhythm and atmosphere dominate her current work. Her most recent exhibit “Parallels”, a two-person show at Da Vinci Art Alliance exhibited her series of skyscape oil paintings inspired by her photographs taken while on trips to the shore and other outdoor events. In addition to working in her studio, Colleen was invited to join the Artessa Art Alliance, an award winning, Philadelphia-area association of women visual artists and has been in several group exhibitions. Adding collage to her artistic practice has taken her on a journey of healing and experimentation and has forged new communities and connections. She joined Philadelphia CollageWorks (PCW) in 2019, and as an active member of PCW, Colleen practices and promotes the art of collage through education, exhibition and community outreach. Her paintings and collages have been included in many exhibitions, and she has won awards for her work that include the Caroline Gibbons Granger Award and the Berthe M. Goldberg Award of Excellence. Colleen currently resides in South Philadelphia with her supportive husband and Max, the cat. Happily, her son Noah lives nearby and carries on the family tradition of embracing the inherent creative spirit.
For the Sake of the Children 9″x8.5″; periodicals; 2023Memories Series 8″x8″; tea bags, walnut ink, vintage photo, periodicals; 2022Conspicuous Consumption 7.5″x5.75″; periodicals; 2023Lifting Melancholy 8″x14.25″; periodicals; 2023