Conception Gallery: Armory Week Salon

Honored to have my work in this show by Conception Gallery during Armory Week, only a block away from Pulse Art Fair. The opening was packed, and I sold the drawing, “Love is Being Flexible”!

 Armory Week Salon: Opening Reception

Friday March 3rd – 7pm – 11pm

LOCATION: 10 W18th St (more…)

Disquieting Vicinities

Honored to have my ink painting “Release” in this show at Owen James Gallery in January!

 

Featured on Two Coats of Paint

Press Release:

Disquieting Vicinities

Colleen Blackard, Rachael Gorchov, Karen Marston and Elin Rodseth

Owen James Gallery  61 Greenpoint Ave, Suite 315 Brooklyn, NY 11222

January 15 – February 14, 2016 (more…)

The Dress

This past fall, I was asked by artist Alex Pergament to participate in his collaborative installation, Helga and Carl. I collaborated with artist Kelly Heaton of Kelleesee Designs to create a drawing on this beautiful dress she made.

I chose this dress as my canvas after hearing the story behind it. Kelly made the dress for a bride-to-be’s wedding shower, but then the bride’s fiancee left her before she had the chance to wear it. The dress became a symbol for lost love and heartbreak, so I chose to heal it by turning it into it’s own universe. The Galaxy radiates from the heart, showing that the wearer projects her light and power from within, that all comes from her center. The train of the dress is water, symbolizing letting go and releasing the past to emerge cleansed and freed.

I enjoyed the process of drawing on silk, and look forward to creating a series of these designer gowns!

Boundary-Less at Pleiades Gallery, Curated by Reno Oka of ISSO Gallery

 FINAL_front

12 NYC artists VS Genichi Watanabe

December 1st, 2015 – December 26th, 2015

Openings:  December 3rd, 2015 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
               December 12th, 2015 3:00 – 6:00 PM

A collaborative exhibit between the Japanese artist, Genichi WATANABE and twelve select NYC artists, curated by Reno Oka of ISSO Art Gallery in Tokyo. Considering that one can find similarity in aspects of every work of art, Reno juxtaposes the overlapping themes between the art of Genichi Watanabe and twelve NYC artists.

Art by different artists may look completely different at glance; however, once you focus on specific points, there is connection and agreement. Regardless of the artists nationalities, there is a shared experience.

This is the reason the show is titled “Boundary-less”; the artists’ works are not divided into separate categories, rather they are exhibited in the same atmosphere harmoniously, despite their diversity.

Press for the Show:

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ArteFuse: (M) Artist Colleen Blackard showing her drawing skills. Arte Fuse Article: “Japan and New York Meet for Boundary-Less Group show at Pleiades Gallery”

ArtSlant New York

ArtHaps

NYArtBeat

Images from the Show: (more…)

“Drawers Drawing” at Galerie Protege

aicampbellshowimageDrawers Drawing
Curated by Alison Pierz

Galerie Protégé
197 9th Avenue, lower level Chelsea Frames
New York, NY 10011 

October 8th-November 5th, 2015
Opening reception Thursday Oct 8th, 6-8pm

Artists: James Bills, Colleen Blackard, Ai Campbell, Joseph Karwacki, Tim Maxwell and Jaanika Peerna. Curated by Alison Pierz

The art of drawing is sometimes seen in a subordinate role to the traditionally dominant media of painting. After the rapid broadening of the art world to include conceptual, performance, multi-media, digital and countless other modes, it is slightly surprising in the twenty first century to encounter working artists who choose drawing as their primary, or in some cases, sole method of expression.

People who draw are technically referred to as draughtsman, which seems to suggest that their efforts are considered a step in a process. One draws a preliminary sketch, or plan – a draft – to be interpreted and developed into something else at a future date. The artists presented in Drawers Drawing have all made the choice to be “drawers” and consider their mark making an end product in itself.

The title is a reference to an early 1970s documentary that celebrated the high profile American painters of the mid twentieth century. In contrast, this exhibition showcases a group of artists with diverse origins in places like Japan, Estonia and Texas. Their artistic backgrounds and references include traditional Japanese brushwork, comic book art, tattooing, mathematics and movement. Pencil, pen and ink, marker and dry pastel are juxtaposed alongside each other in an inspired display of line, form and color.

Some of the works are presented as one might encounter them in an artist’s studio, for example a sketchbook opened to a single page, a large work on paper tacked to the wall, as though the artist has stepped away and might return to make additions and changes. Others highlight the diversity possible in drawing by being presented as three-dimensional installations and sculpture. Drawers Drawing celebrates the ancient human act of mark making and the artists who engage with it.

Closing Reception Update:

At the last minute, as we began de-installing the work, a dear friend and collector who has been following my work since my first show recognized the drawing, Taurus (Hyades), from my first “For the Universe” series and came to the gallery to acquire it. So grateful for the support, and glad it went to a happy home!

Installation Shots:

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