Archives for posts with tag: colleenmpeterson

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My goal with my blog is to share and promote my art, but at such a critical time in our country I feel I need to share something important. Part of me says, Colleen don’t involve yourself in all the political mumbo jumbo, the other part of me says ‘COLLEEN, this is your life, your way of living, your partner, your love life, your choices, your human rights!!’ I’ve never been so struck in my heart by what’s going on in my country as I am right now.

My partner and I, we frequent a certain grocery store (OFTEN) even if we’re just on our way to work and want to stop for a snack, were there ALOT. Anyway, last night we made a stop as usual, the u-scan girl came up to us and asked ‘how long have you two been together? I see you in here all the time, you’re so cute, I love it, I’m straight but I love it.’ She then proceeded to tell us that the last time we were in, when we left one of us put an arm around the other- like we almost are, always touching- and a man, a bystander just shopping like us went up to this young woman and said ‘doesn’t that bother you?’ Now before I tell you what she said, can I just say I cannot believe that we are living in a world where someone, a customer just passing through like we are feels THIS comfortable to go up to a worker at a grocery store, to someone he absolutely doesn’t know- and try to persuade her to be upset about a same sex relationship, shopping just like him, happy not bothering anyone. This is where we are in this country. It hurts. It’s SCARY. This country, this president makes people comfortable enough to act, to try and shame something they don’t agree with. She told us, quite proudly I would say, that she responded with ‘no, it doesn’t I love it.’ My heart melted, I could cry, good for you!!!! We told her how much that meant to us, really, and truly. Thank you, thank you to every.single. One of you that sticks up for mine and so many others daily, NORMAL TO US life, our happiness. You don’t know how much you mean to me, and to so many others. I believe that we are hitting rock bottom before it all gets better, I believe trump is our president for a reason, all of this is going to eventually BE FOR THE BETTER. It will, we just have to continue to protect one another. Don’t be silent, stand for what you believe, let your voice be heard, be who you are.

Go forward in peace, respect one another. United we stand.

I have worked for Sandhill Crane Vineyards for 5 years this September, this will be my third time showing my art. I am so blessed to work for a place that I am passionate about, and even more so to be able to put my other passion on their walls.

My art will be going up January 17th, and 20% of all sales from my art will go to the Aware Shelter in Jackson MI. 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence in their life. The Aware shelter strives to eliminate domestic and sexual violence while promoting social change and empowering survivors by offering shelter & services to help a cause that not only has effected my life, but so many other women that I know.

I will be using bright and vibrant colors to bring life to the walls of the winery at such a gloomy time! Almost all my pieces will have a theme for one of our biggest upcoming festivals, Wine & Wool on January 28th.

The first year that I worked this event I thought all my bosses were over exaggerating about how busy, and full of life the winery would be in the middle of the winter. They were not. I’m hoping that my pieces are a hit with this crowd, that I know appreciate another artists craft. I cant wait to show again, and I absolutely cannot wait to donate to the Aware shelter!

Please give my page on Facebook a like,

and/or follow me on Instagram

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If there’s one thing I LOVE to do, it’s give gifts. I love to give people presents, and its all that much more exciting to give something I’ve made with my own hands. My love asked me months ago (a couple times) to make her a Rick & Morty painting, I thought her moving to my city and calling it home was the perfect opportunity to surprise her.

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There’s something about being asked to make a piece of art for a little soul. For a little baby that will get to look at something I made for, years. It makes me so happy, it’s truly inspiring. Marcy, a friend of mine needed art for her sweet angels room, she said she wanted elephants, blues, and golds. This is what I came up with;

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I hope her sweet girl looks at this for years to come, and maybe even feels inspired from them. They were made with all the love and good vibes.

 

You’re going to be in a book.

http://www.artistsinjackson.com

One of the coolest, weirdest, proudest, just amazing things I’ve ever experienced. I am so unbelieveably blessed and happy to be a part of David Lawrence’s portrait project.

Once I started booking artists at the winery my wheels started turning. We needed to have a reception for artists in Jackson! David and I had lunch, threw around ideas, picked dates. I was excited.

Theres something so statisfying in planning something with all of your heart and soul and just watching it fall perfectly into place. For the reception David and I asked each of the 15 artists to make one or two pieces of art to accompany their portrait that he took. Along with some still life shots David had as well, it came together perfectly. Almost all the artists from the book came, it was great to meet everyone in the flesh and to watch everyone mingle. I felt so proud, proud of the wine I was serving, proud of my fellow artists and their work, so proud of David and all his hard work in bringing together some of these people that never knew the other existed. It was a beautiful day.  Artists in Jackson is something I will always be overwhelmingly proud to say I’m a part of, and helping to put on this event to put David’s project on a pedestal was the least I could do.

My painting, under my portrait, simply titled ‘Her’ inspired by an inspiring human in my life. An eye opening, Life changing, beautiful soul. I wanted her to be looking into the sky at the moon and the stars. I used greens and yellows by her body. I wanted the painting to feel how I was feeling, very whimsical, a daze, settling for a moment to take it all in.

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Photo By: Ashley Smith.

Artists in Jackson

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I’m blessed with a day job I enjoy going to everyday. I work at Sandhill Crane Vineyards, and we are apart of the Southeast Michigan Wine Trail. This wine trail puts on events to bring customers to all the wineries on our trail over the course of a weekend- Pioneer Wine Trail, Art Along the Trail. My idea for this was to rangle all my talented staff and their art to show for the entire month of April, and what do you know it worked! Not only were my bosses cool enough to let me run wild with this idea, but they also ran a people’s choice award where our customers could vote for their favorite piece of art, and they awarded the top two a $50 prize. The day I took down all the art, I also got to tally the votes, it was wild how many participated, myself and one of my co workers won, and three of our staff members tied for third.

My pieces ‘Wounds in Spring’ inspired by all the new I felt coming into my life. Accompanied by Rumi.

I also had two smaller pieces ‘Live’ and ‘Feel’ we live by the sun and feel by the moon. I never get sick of this concept, and painting sun and moon inspired pieces. I used the flowers from my big piece to tie it all together.

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I saved this window pane from my aunts barn, along with a couple others. This was the first one I painted on. I wanted to represent day going into the night of darkness, then while researching ‘creepy romance’ I came across this poem by Cosondra Sjostrom. It fit perfectly. ‘Your absence would release all of the darkness inside of me’

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‘Princess’ A Moment in Time. I always like to mix it up a little, and add a collage or some other form of mixed media that isn’t paint. I found these bits and pieces from the array of magazines I save, first finding the night piece on top, and then the girl, everything kind of flowed together after that. I love how it turned out.

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‘The Witch’ the first piece I painted for the show, I love the female figure. I’m not sure what struck this inspiration, I knew I wanted a witch, and just ran with it.

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‘Her Compass’ while researching what kind of witch I wanted to paint, I came across across a witches compass, I thought it was super creepy, and cool. I also saved this old frame from my aunts collection of stuff she didn’t want, and it fit perfectly.

Halloween is easily my favorite holiday, I was beyond excited when I was contacted to do this show, and it was a great turn out, with impressive creepy art. I just hope every year there happens to be a show I can be a part of. I love seeing what this side brings out of artists.

special thanks to Kaiti McDonough for all her hard work in making this happen, and to Grand River brewery for hosting.

‘Wow it’s what I pictured, but couldn’t describe. You just get it.’

What higher compliment could I possibly receive? My heart is overwhelming warm that I could capture exactly what she wanted for a piece that will be displayed on one of the most important days of someone’s life.

I painted a yin and a yang, each side representing the couples favorite color, the trees represent each of them coming together, rooting into each other. I put the green in the middle where they meet, to represent this. I was told the family on both sides love water, & are always around it, so I this is where I drew the color for the base. The antlers came from the brides reception inspiration, but I painted it to kind of hold everything together.

 
  
  

Three years ago I made my dear friend a painting for her birthday of her sweet pooch Luna! Just like Luna has helped her through hardships, she’s done the same for me. Watching how much my she loves her best friends, makes me so antsy and incredibly excited for the day I have my own pup. My heart feels over joyed to give her a gift that brings her such happiness!

Well she didn’t want the newest, ditsy, adorable, member of the family feeling left out, so here’s Ollie!

 

Just like most things I’ve done, I never thought I would be painting pooches! I truly love how they turned out, and the the joy it brings to my friends face just makes it all that more sweet.

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I love love love doing custom work! From this message-

‘I don’t have so much as theme ideas but color schemes. (I can give you paint chips for a reference idea)
My bedroom is Dark purple, black and silver. I like peacocks, lace, skeleton keys, cameras and makeup..haha
p.s. Your work is beautiful’

came this piece that ended up being one of my favorites to date!

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