Scotty Colin: Changing Faces

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Scotty Colin, “Magnetic Mind,” no date

wood (yellow Cedar), epoxy, acrylic, charcoal, 31.25"x19"x1.75" (courtesy of the gallery)

Opening Reception: October 7 from 4-6pm.

Scotty had his first ever gallery exhibition in June 2022 which was with Outsiders and Others. It was the most successful exhibition in the gallery's short 3 year history, from a point of attendance and sales.

At that time, we were working with an artist who had experienced addiction, homelessness, and mental health conditions. Since then, life has changed.

“Life is very different for me than it was one year ago. After living in Vancouver for over 18 years,  I decided to move back to California where I am from. I now live in Humboldt County, in the Redwoods and on the coast of northern California. Rumour says that Humboldt County has more artists per capita than anywhere else in the United States. I don't know if this is true, but it certainly feels like it. Creativity is bursting out of the seams here. I've recognized how much I have to learn from being surrounded by so many brilliant people. It's also much quieter here. There's more space for me to focus on my creative vision. I've had the opportunity to grow into a new community, explore new places, develop new routines, be closer to family, and deepen my relationship with my girlfriend. As a result, I've been able to reexamine my life. It's given me the opportunity to make changes that will ultimately lead me to living the life that I would like to live. In essence, with the move back home, I have moved into a whole new phase of life.

I've been giving a lot of thought to what it means to live the life path of an artist. Everyone has the ability to be creative. It's part of the gift of the human experience that we all have. But, there are those of us who are wired to be creative. It's as if our life depends on it. And if we are denied our ability to fully express ourselves creatively, then it can lead us into a state of disfunction and neurosis. Well, I fit into that specific category. The move back home has enabled me to focus on developing more self discipline, having the creative life path as a compass.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, I have had the inspiration to move into using wood/sculpture in my art. After working with joinery and being a boatbuilder for so many years in Vancouver, it feels like a natural progression. It seems as though my experience with joinery has given me a unique perspective as an artist. It's as if a new door has opened. The result has been a huge flood of new ideas, feeling more inspired and focused than ever.”

-Scotty Colin 2023

Artist Talk:  October 7 at 2pm