Underwood, Colleen

Colleen was born and raised and has lived most of her life in the beautiful province of Nova Scotia.

She began her studies in art with classes and workshops from many local and international artists. Her studies in art lead her to travel to various art events throughout the USA and Canada to pursue her growth as an artist. She has taught art classes privately and with Halifax continuing education and has been invited to teach across Canada and the USA.

Colleen works primarily in oils and whether she paints still life, florals or landscapes her work is expressed with vivid enriched colours. Her other medium of choice is encaustic painting (painting with beeswax and damar resin). Luminous and vibrance describe this medium. 

Colleen’s inspiration to paint comes from seeing beauty in all that surrounds her.

Colleen’s work has sold across Canada as well as internationally and she has been selected to appear in publications through North Light Books. Colleen works from her home studio creating new works of art as well as commission work.

Artist Statement

Art consumes me. Bold, vibrant colour is the most emotional and personal aspect in my paintings. Luminosity and brilliance of oil paint and encaustics led me to explore all these marvelous each medium has to offer.

I paint colourful, emotional, happy stories of ordinary people doing everyday things. I apply my paint with a palette knife or in the case where I work in encaustic, melted beeswax and oil are applied and set with a heat gun or blow torch. The composition is further enhanced by rendering light, color and harmony.

My subjects vary from floral, still life and landscapes but my deepest passion is to paint transparency.  Strong bold colors and describing light in my work further pushes the passion. I want the viewer to feel and understand why this composition was chosen to be painted.