Artist Bio:

Colleen Blackard divides her time between Brooklyn, NY and Austin, TX, and creates artwork inspired by the light of the Texas skies of her youth. She received a BA from Hampshire College, MA, is a recipient of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant and recently completed a residency at Cill Rialaig Artist Retreat, Co. Kerry, Ireland. Her work has been shown in such venues as ACA Galleries and Owen James Gallery in NYC and Redbud Gallery in Houston. Her drawings are in Pierogi Gallery’s Flat Files and she was interviewed for their artists’ Q&A. Her work has also been featured in Drawing Magazine and the Brooklyn episode of the Japanese travel show, Hotel no Madokara.

I am profoundly influenced by my environment, particularly the quality of the light. I am drawn to create worlds that explore the power of light to alter our external and internal landscapes.

In all of my work, light is the subject and acts as a vehicle for emotional expression. Universal themes of connection, isolation, and loss are recurrent in my various series and reflect my personal experiences.

In my drawings, I use continuous, circular, intersecting lines to create a luminosity that clarifies the subject and gives life to every detail. Whether in ballpoint pen or archival marker, I am constantly pushing the envelope on the types of atmospheres and effects I can create with these dynamic lines and the light between.