Colleen D. Gjefle

Up to now I’ve been showing just my painting and/or mixed media artwork on RedBubble, but I’m concentrating almost totally on photography now. So it’s time for me to get back into RedBubble and show off some of my photographic art.

I’m also blogging now, so here’s a link to that – Don’t just take a Photo – create a work of Art

I’ve been painting most all of my life and am equally in love with both surrealism and abstract art. Please visit my website at MsSurreal.com and my murals-only website at MsMural.com. I’m also a professional photographer – website: GJfoto.com.

I’ve had 4 paintings featured on the Redbubble homepage :

“Cosmic Ocean” – Nov. 17, 2010
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“Where’s Toto?” – Oct. 4, 2010
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“Terra Un-Firma” – Oct. 18, 2009
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“Red Eye 2” – Dec. 23, 2008

ARTIST STATEMENT:
As an artist, I strive to visually capture a world that lives beyond our conventional senses. Arriving at the images that appear on my canvases is akin to a spiritual experience for me, for these images are those of morality, metaphysics and of dreams. Since childhood, I have been intrigued with the spiritual realm and as I grew, so did the urge to experience and somehow relate to these other dimensions.

There was a time when I thought through every detail in a painting. But I gradually began to try to let my subconscious take more control of the process. This led to some paintings becoming more abstract, with others still retaining a distinctly surreal feel. I’m no longer always striving for the “deep” meanings in my works. While at one time I wanted to “understand” my paintings, I now often prefer to “feel” them. We can only intellectually understand things to a limited degree, but we can feel to the depth of our souls.

Do I want others to understand my paintings? I will share my interpretations if they exist for a particular work, but each person naturally interprets a work of art according to their own personality and experiences. So I try to let my paintings “simply be”. This also allows me to see a work somewhat differently each time I look at it, depending on my frame of mind or my day’s experiences. With my artwork, I can hopefully understand myself and my world a little bit more, and to share it with others.