Colleen D. Gjefle
Profile
I’ve been painting most all of my life and am equally in love with both surrealism and abstract art. If you like what you see here, please visit my website at gjefle-art.com.
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.
Thanks to RedBubble for featuring ‘Red Eye 2’ on the RedBubble hompage (Dec. 23, 2008)
One of my favorite images in recent years:
Groups
Colleen D. Gjefle is a member of Complex Simplicity of Art, 1 In The Beginning - Ancient Practices, Abstract Art, Abstract Realism, Acrylic Painting, All the Colors of the Rainbow, All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical, Alt, Alternative and Progressive International Art, Art Inspired by Dreams, Art Nouveau and the Arts & Crafts Movement, Avant-Garde, Behind the Mask, Challenge Café, Clever Designs, Contemporary Professional Painters and Sculptors, Core [C.O.R.E], Cubism, Dimensions, Dirty pretty things., Environmental Awareness, Fine Arts, Finks of Inks, Hard Science Rocks, Imaginative Realism, In Another World .., Just Brown, Layered with Texture, LEFT WING VALUES AND POSITIVE GLOBAL AWARENESS, Light In The Darkness, Mandala, Mixed Media, Moody, Dark, Evocative (no nudes), Once In A Blue Moon, Out of the Blue (75%+ Blue), Painters In Modern Times, Parallel Dimensions, Passions, Practising the Dark Arts, Remodernist Painters' Group, Rocks and Stones, Ruins, Ancient and Derelict Buildings, Rusty, Crusty and Falling to Bits - 2 Per 24 Hours, Self as Other, Shapes & Patterns - Limit of 2 images per day, Shifting Sands, Shoot The Moon, Something To Say, Spiritual Art, Surrealism *MAX 4 PER DAY*, Symbolism in Art, The Art of Intrigue 2/24, The Grunge Art Gallery, The Healing Journey, the love of Eerie and enchanting artwork, The Voyage Of The Surrealists, Unconventional Artistry - 3 per day, Vibrant and Vivid Color and Visual Texture(no pornography,nudes or offensive works).
