KC Collins

"I feel that art is a personal and individual experience for both the creator and the viewer. In my works, I pull from extremes; bold and soft, saturated and muted colors. The images fade among positive and negative spaces. It is between these two extremes that I find a special place where the abstract and the real meet. By simplifying selected details in a face, a landscape, or an object, I try to touch the true essence of the image. The pictures I create are done with a specific purpose in mind, but I encourage the viewer to experience my work on an individual level. By doing this they can, hopefully, see the world around them in a new way."

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, KC began creating art at a very young age. She continued to draw through high school and won her first award at the Ridgefield, Washington's Community Art Show for a series of portraits.

KC attended Elon University in North Carolina and began exploring artistic media, including oils, acrylics, watercolors, pencil, pastels, and a variety of mixed media. She explored art history and drew influences from JWM Turner, Franz Klein, and Gerhard Richter. Contemporary artists who inspire her are Anne Stahl and Elin Neuman, both abstract landscape artists.

Throughout school, K.C. did not paint in traditional styles, creating paintings that can be considered both abstract and life-like. She received several awards at Elon University's Annual Art Show in 2003 and 2004. As a Junior at Elon, K.C. was accepted into the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit in Charleston, SC. Even though she was the youngest exhibitor ever excepted in the competition, she received an Honorable Mention award. K.C. graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Painting from Elon University and went on to graduate from the Medical University of South Carolina with a degree in Nursing.

K.C. now paints landscapes and portraits as well as commission work. Her paintings are hung in the Spencer Art Gallery in Charleston, SC and the Green Rice Gallery in Charlotte, NC. She continues to participate in the Piccolo Spoleto outdoor art exhibit every summer, and has a solo show every spring. She will also be participating in several other art festivals around the country in 2009.