Colleen McTigue
About
Artist Statement:
Colleen McTigue is an emerging artist living and working in St. Catharines. Primarily self-taught, she began pursuing the visual arts in March of 2018 as a way of filling time due to being on disability leave for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, having not done any drawing or painting since she was a teenager. Encouraged by her early efforts, she continued her artistic exploration. Since joining the professional arts training programing at Willow Arts Community in June 2018, she has explored a number of different styles and mediums, including watercolour, acrylics, and alcohol inks, and has increased her skill and confidence as an artist.
Colleen McTigue’s first professional artist experience came in August, 2018 when she was selected by a judging panel as one of 14 artists to participate in “PlayPlayPlayNiagaraFalls”, a public art project that involved the public painting of upright pianos placed at various locations around the city of Niagara Falls.
In December of 2018, Colleen was chosen as the Willow Arts Community’s first Artist in Residence, which involved being awarded 3 months of studio time at the NAC studios on St. Paul Street, during which she developed a body of work that was displayed in a two-person show in the Dennis Tourbin Members’ Gallery at the NAC from August 17-30 2019. One of her paintings from this show was sold during the opening reception. During her time in the studio, Colleen taught a Willow Community workshop on making and using alcohol inks, and also contributed three paintings to the NAC’s Small Feats exhibition, two of which were sold. She has also sold paintings to private collectors.
One of Collen’s works was also chosen for a group show called Piece of Mind, which ran from August 3-16 at the Dennis Tourbin Members’ Gallery at the NAC. This was a show specifically featuring artists with experience of mental health issues.
In March of 2019, Colleen applied for, and eventually received, funding for a Culture Days Canada event; a screen-printing workshop which took place on Sunday, September 29, 2019, from 11am – 4pm at the NAC Studios at 433 St. Paul street. The event was very successful, with 57 participants, and generated much positive feedback. This was the first time a screen-printing workshop had been done for Culture Days in St. Catharines. In preparation for the event, Colleen prepared two stencil images for people who simply wanted to experience pulling a print, and also provided materials for those who wished to create their own simple stencils using freezer paper. Most participants opted to create their own stencils under the guidance of Colleen and her volunteer helpers.
An example of Colleen’s work, “Doors #7, ‘Courage’,” was chosen for the St. Catharines 2019 annual juried exhibition, titled “Transformations”, and was on view on the 3rd floor of St. Catharines City Hall from October 2019 until March 2020.
Colleen continues to pursue her art, and currently works out of her home studio. Her art sometimes explores LGBT issues through a social justice lens, although she also explores the beauty of nature and sometimes combines the two.