© Colleen Hammond, *Distant*, Oil on canvas

April 17, 2024

Amie Potsic interviews artist and art administrator Colleen Hammond about her artwork, her programming at Cheltenham Art Center, and their new Creative Conversation series for artists.

Colleen Hammond © Image courtesy of Colleen Hammond

Colleen Hammond was born in the month of March, 1957 and raised in a small New Jersey town. After high school, between 1975 - 1979 she attended and graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where she began her artistic journey following the principles of classical style; centered on notions of elegance, harmony and proportion based on the human figure. She also went on to receive a BFA with a major in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania. In recent years her oil paintings have moved toward abstract realism where mood is the underlying key element. In addition to working in her studio, Colleen was welcomed into the collective art group, Artessa Alliance, an awardwinning Philadelphia area association of women visual artists. Adding collage to her artistic practice has taken her on a journey of healing and experimentation and has forged new communities and connections. She joined Philadelphia CollageWorks (PCW) in 2019, a group of artists that practice and promote the art of collage through education, exhibition and community outreach. Her paintings and collages have been included in many exhibitions, and she has won awards for her work that include the Caroline Gibbons Granger Award and the Berthe M. Goldberg Award of Excellence. Colleen currently resides in South Philadelphia with her supportive husband and Max, the cat. Her son Noah lives nearby and carries on the family tradition of embracing the inherent creative spirit.

Artist Statement
The dictionary defines 'ah' as “an expression used to describe many emotions - delight, relief, regret or contempt”. Our everyday world is filled to the brim with objects, people, and places that demand nothing more from us other than the acknowledgment of their existence. In my work, I am trying to show all the 'ah' that I see. While my affinity with art started with drawing and oil painting, I have added the medium of collage which has taken me on a meditative and playful path serving as a way to set free my anxiety and cope with the world’s current events. The thread that runs through all my work is a process based in my classical artistic training filtered through my own subconscious spirit and imagination.

This is why I make art - to cope, look inside myself and create a language that will make sense of living in this world.

COLLEEN HAMMOND

© Colleen Hammond, *Horseneck Beach*, Oil on canvas, 16 x 12 inches, 2020

© Colleen Hammond, *Portrait of A Young Woman*, Oil on canvas, 16 x 12 inches, 2021

CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS
with Guest Artist Amie Potsic

Sunday, April 28th, 2024
12:00 - 1:15pm

*Pre-Registration Required*
CLICK HERE to Register for Amie Potsic's April 28th Creative Conversation

Creative Conversation series is a great opportunity for artists to get feedback from fellow artists and to benefit from the insights of the artist leading the conversation. The series provides the high level conversation often missing from an adult artist' solo studio practice, building community, confidence, and drive.

For more information and to see the event schedule:
https://cheltenhamarts.org/creative-conversations-aprilmay

Cheltenham Center for the Arts is launching a new series in 2024, Creative Conversations (CC). Their CC series is a wonderful opportunity to meet with artists who work in various mediums and talk about the joys, struggles, questions, inspirations, and technical issues you are dealing with in your creative journey. There will also be opportunities to share your work and receive sensitive and constructive feedback from the visiting artist. This series is not designed as a lecture, but rather an exciting opportunity for artists to come together to talk and share ideas and open new pathways and perspectives. The Cheltenham Center for the Arts hopes the CC series will add another supportive layer to your creative process and looks forward to seeing you at their monthly series starting April 2024.

To learn more about Colleen Hammond’s artwork, visit her website or follow her on Instagram: @colleenhammond.artwork .

Banner Image: © Colleen Hammond, Lifting Meloncholy, Rollage, 8 x 14.5 inches, 2023