"Arise" 8" x 10" oil on canvas board.







I mentioned setting up another exhibit last week.  The better part of Friday was devoted to helping with the newest Green Bay Art Colony Exhibit at NWTC Gallery.  the display includes paintings, sculpture, photographs, ceramics, quilts, encaustic and mixed media pieces. 

Also featured is a retrospective of the artworks of June Kashnig, a long-time artist member of the GBAC. http://www.nwtc.edu/atnwtc/places/artcollection/Pages/Home.aspx

"Choices"  5'x3' acrylic on recycle canvas.

Harmony Café, Green Bay – The art of Colleen Cullerton Dunkel is on exhibit the month of June! Contemporary works created from reused, recycled, repurposed and redeemed materials are displayed around the cafe's stage walls. 
More paintings are in the hall with work by Colleen's Stir It Up creative arts workshop students and photographs of the students at work taken by Brenda Elsner of Shutter B Photography.  
- Colleen Cullerton Dunkel

Feel like I'm chasing my tail.  Although I've been far more productive. Meet and Greet at The Art Garage on March 24, Submitted art to Green Bay Art Colony on March 28th, set up exhibit at The Art Garage on April 1, Art Colony reception April 2, delivered art to Alfons Gallery in Milwaukee April 5, installed paintings at Green Bay Chamber of Commerce April 6. Plan to attend Alfons reception April 10. Paintings in progress, still working on portraits for exhibits for June and July at Harmony Cafe and NWTC.

- Colleen Cullerton Dunkel

"Morning has Broken"
Green Bay Chamber of Commerce

Green Bay Chamber of Commerce
"Sacred Dawn 1" 24"x24" Oil on Canvas

Green Bay Chamber of Commerce
"Morning has Broken" 48"x40" Acrylic on Canvas

Green Bay Art Garage
April 1 - June 30

"Isaiah 61",  "Rainforest,
"See the Bridge", and  "Portal"
"Fish" in the basket 

Community Church
"Sacred Dawn 1, 2, 3" Tryptych

Community Church
"Impossible Math" Wood Cut

"Third Day" 
right wall at Alfons Gallery

"Silkworm" 
right wall at Alfons Gallery

1/29/2011
Progress continues on this image. Refining profile and background.  Building up layers and seeing the portrait progress.  Meanwhile developing other sketches for this project.  Amazed at how quickly things are starting to focus. 

- Colleen Cullerton Dunkel

1/27/2011
I've got a "caregiver" image in the works and hope to have a few other "wounded" images soon.  I've also asked two other artists to complete the presentation, representing the different challenges of being wounded and ministering and encouraging them.  

I'm encouraged by the reception of this project and am looking forward to presenting it to the community. 

1/12/2011
Started new images for Wounded & Tender exhibit. This study is inspired by an API photo. I was moved by the hopeful, fear in the eyes of the family and friends holding vigil over the Chilean mine collapse. Tears and prayers, candlelight, flags and banners, and personal photos adorned the impromptu and barely utilitarian tent city.Initial sketches are rewarding.  Can't wait to see how this develops.

This collection is inspired by heroes of all ages, careers, genders and ethnic groups. Their one common denominator is their courage to face overwhelming odds. Some heroes are in professions that call for a certain level of valor. Others are victims who've refused to be beaten down by their circumstances. The collection looks at those who are wounded in the process: disabled and fallen, encountering physical, emotional and spiritual struggles. It also explores the effects of genuine courage and compassion. My work is informed by my career as an Illustrator and Graphic Designer. The body of work consists of woodblock prints, paintings, collage, and mixed media on both paper and canvas. Much of the work incorporates recycled materials: rehabilitating, renewing and refreshing them, much like we hope compassion and caring can do the same for people.

"Sacred Dawn: in situ at Community Church Green Bay.  

Just finished prepping 10 new canvases.  Once again, I hate to wait. They have to dry 24 - 48 hrs.  The creative bug has bitten NOW.  Guess I'll go to my sketchbook.  I'm doing some academic work right now.  It's good to brush up on my skills.  It's technical and a little awkward.  It's actually not as much fun as the last few works.  It is forcing me to look at things differently.  I've just started doing some still-life paintings. It's an academic exercise I need to do to keep you skills polished. I really don't like still-life so I spend more time trying to figure out what to paint. I'm trying so hard to avoid "cute."  I really wish I could just put a spoon on the floor. Paint a picture of it and be done.  

8/19/2010 Here's the first one. Each still life will have a style modification. I'm hoping to make the series cohesive by using the same subject and colors. When finished, I plan to mount them all on the same board.  We'll see. 

"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint." ~ Edward Hopper

8/23/2010 First layer.  canvas no. 2. 
Limited colors to yellow - black - white - red. 
I'm hoping to make the series cohesive by using the same subject, modified in style or content. When finished, I plan to mount them all on the same board.


So many earth shattering things going on and I'm painting tea cups. I know these are just a tool to build and reinforce my skills, but I've got so many images in m head fighting to get out.  Discipline is NOT my strong suit.  

Working on 3 part image.  Each is 24" square.  Oil on Canvas.  Started with black on white. Added Red, then blue.  Still early.  This will go through some "ugly" stages.

I've always wanted to do a series of work inspired by the images I find in everyday objects, like tiles and carpets and pavement. It's not the kind of thing cameras reveal easily.  I'm hunting for the secondary images in these recent series of work.  I'll have to let the work tell me where I'm going as the layers progress. 

Grief is so heavy.  It's a burden we cannot carry alone. It can rip the heart.

Grace overcomes the darkness.  How do I show that incredible, indescribable grace?  Grace like rain pours down. Grace so amazing that it  turns mourning into dancing. 

07/12/2010
Started a new painting last night. It's a decent canvas with no apparent slubs. 36 x 24. I limited my palette to two colors to start; ultramarine blue and cadmium yellow. Thinned the oils for drips. The pigments separated nicely and blended well so far. I like the bloom.

07/14/2010
Decided to have some art prints made of "Isaiah 61" at this stage.  Not sure if I've stopped working on this piece, but I like where it is and feel strongly that it needs to be preserved.

Had to make several attempts to keep the color and detail true. I've always seen blue as one of the most difficult colors to reproduce accurately because of all the under colors,  Ultramarine blue has a lot of red pigment.  Even with all my years in graphics, I struggle here. I'm going ahead with a limited edition.  I expect to see proofs tomorrow.  Very anxious to see if we start over or if we go ahead. 

07/15/2010
Happy with the press proofs. Will make a limited run and start frames. Hope to make time to finish the next in this series soon.  Already have three more canvases stretched and primed.

What a wonderful word: "delight"
as a noun it means gratification, joy, extreme satisfaction, something that gives pleasure,
or as in Turkish Delight, a jelly, gummy confection
as a verb: to take great pleasure, to give keen enjoyment

Action: "to give" and "to take" 

What color is joy? Is it dancing? Is it singing? Does it spill over so others can see it? Share it? Touch it? Taste? What color is joy? What shape is delight?  How much "delight" can I reveal with paint and canvas? How do I reveal give and take?

07/16/2010
Modifications to canvas. Still two colors. Starting to gain depth. Starting to move to that uncomfortable stage. Each painting goes through stages.  First I really love it and I'm not sure I want to do more. Then I start to play with it again and get it out of the "precious" stage where I'm afraid to move forward. That's when it gets exciting. That's when I'm walking on the dangerous edge of "ruining" the whole thing. 

07/25/10
First stage limited edition print has strong feedback and interest in owning the prints. Several of my associates see the controlled risk-taking that yields interesting things like invasion, overlap, interruption, horizontal vs vertical, strong compositional elements.