Born and Raised in NJ,
Groomed for Greatness in CA
It was August of 2011 when Colin first breached the city limits of Los Angeles in his trusty black Jetta. He was coming off a profound cross-country road trip, enriched by America’s sweeping vistas and eager to embark on his new journey in show business. Beginning with an internship in film development, he forged an uncertain path through the Hollywood chaos, analyzing cringeworthy movie scripts and braving the gloriously tedious shooting days on many a film set. By a miraculous stroke of luck, he secured his first full-time position as Joel Silver’s assistant. The succeeding half decade would be indelibly marked in Colin’s memory as his period of enlightenment. Through his unwavering support of Silver’s loaded program — film producer, architecture enthusiast, art collector, sport creator — he would gain valuable insight into the restless and relentless mind of a cultural juggernaut.
Grateful as he was for the years of wisdom on extraordinary living, Colin grew weary of his routine clerical duties and longed for new and different challenges. In the brief yet coveted lulls of his hectic workdays, he racked his brain desperately for a diversion. Dangerously close to abandoning the struggle, he received an unlikely yet salvaging phone call from, of all people, his mother: “Get back to your art, Colin, and draw some house portraits! Right now!” How one phone call can change everything…
Following this new surge of reviving his long-lost artistic talent, Colin bid the film business adieu in 2019 and embarked on a self-guided tour of LA’s life drawing workshops where he investigated the human form in depth. “Quick gestures” was the modus operandi in these spirited drawing assemblies; those in attendance must work swiftly and instinctively under pressing time constraints to capture their model’s essence. The speedy nature of the operation and the call to work solely from life nearly ruined the untested artist, who until then had worked exclusively, and unhurriedly, from photographs. Nevertheless, by enlisting esteemed LA-based draftsmen Karl Gnass and Ron Lemen to help reform his technical approach, Colin not only stayed the course to conquer his misgivings but also found the courage to engage the next phase of his uncharted journey: oil painting.
During a six-month-long apprenticeship to master painter Cheryl Kline, Colin set his sights on one goal: to paint like the “Old Masters.” Commencing his studies with introductory techniques on brush strokes, values, color mixing, blending, and glazing, he developed a new visual language that would set the stage for his first old master copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine. What began as a mere foundational exercise in oil painting soon became a passion project of his, catalyzing a long and fruitful investigation into the Renaissance master’s techniques. While masochistically satisfying, and despite his significant progress, Colin was keen to diversify and felt another shake up was in order, one that would summon a shift to outdoor play.
Armed with a paint box and an enduring curiosity of nature, Colin set out for the Santa Monica Mountains and shorelines of Malibu to record the fleeting effects of California’s rising and setting sun. He rather soon discovered, to his dismay, he was ill-equipped to battle the ever-changing daylight with his cautious academic approach to painting. Once again, he needed to flip the script and embrace a new set of tactics. For a brief interlude, he would study under renowned landscape artist Sharon Weaver and learn how to express the energy of the modern world through an impressionistic lens. Emboldened by lessons on composition, color theory, and spontaneity, Colin plunged back into the wilderness with adeptness and confidence.
From Hollywood assistant to professional artist, Colin has grappled with much change and overcome seasons of rattling uncertainty in his pursuit of self-discovery. A draftsman, painter, and storyteller, he has built an arsenal of tools and knowledge spanning multiple creative disciplines. Ready to begin sharing his talent with the rest of the world, Colin hopes his creative endeavors can make an impact in the lives of others.