colleenbronsteinart's Profile
Bio
My goal is to celebrate the joy in my life through my art work. This approach allows me to have a certain amount of freedom in the design, but I still tend to agonize over the construction of each piece and probably always will. Within this context, I grow each day as an artist and craftsperson.
My inspiration comes from the world around me; such as the colors of dawn, the colors of dusk, and the colors of the ocean on a bright, white-hot summer day; to me color is energy. My inspiration also comes from van Gogh, Matisse, and Picasso, their use of color appears to burst forth from the canvas while using color as the power of expression.
My work has evolved over time and I am now working with materials that allow me to make use of this energy I call color. Since I am drawn to the ocean and the beach, it is not surprising that my work comes from the ocean in the form of the pearl. I have incorporated many of my award winning metal designs into my new design work with the pearl. As a metalsmith I loved all that was involved with a flat sheet of silver or gold; from the fabrication, forming, chasing, filing, sanding, soldering, polishing and finally to the finished piece which came about from my own vision, my hands and my heart.
Expect to see the sun burst through the vibrant colors of my pearl designs.
My website is www.bronsteinartwork.com
Invitational Exhibitions:
“Art of the State: Pennsylvania” – State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA – Juror: George Gurney, Curator of Sculpture, National Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC
“Materials Hard & Soft” – Great Denton Arts Council, Denton, TX – Juror: Kenneth Trapp, Curator Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC
“Celestial Seasonings: A Loose Interpretation” – Exhibition of teapots, Boulder, CO
“Earl Pardon Memorial Exhibition” – Aaron Faber Gallery, Fifth Avenue New York, New York
White House – Washington, DC; “The Year of American Craft: A Celebration of the Creative Works of the Hand” – curated by Michael Monroe, Director of Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC
Awards:
Pennsylvania Society of Goldsmiths, Philadelphia, PA
Broadway Art Show – NoHo, New York, New York
Tuscarora Annual Show – Philadelphia, PA
The Emma & Martin Rennich Juror’s Choice Award for Black & White Photography – Philadelphia, PA
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, Pa
Honors:
Nominated and elected Juror for the Year 2000 – American Craft Council Shows
Finalist – Pew Fellowship presented by Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
Female, Born on September 15
Favorite Materials
- Shop home (all items)
