Ivan Colin is an abstract painter based in Bellingham Washington.
Bio
Ivan Colin is an abstract painter based in Bellingham, Washington. He was inspired early on by street art culture in his native Napa Valley, California where he became hooked into the art world by graffiti and markings etched on walls. San Francisco and Oakland were only an hours drive from where Colin grew up, so he visited them often. There he encountered walls covered with murals, vandalism and illustrative characters.
He was unable to see art as a viable way to make a living until he attended Linfield College in Oregon. He was recruited to play collegiate soccer but was quickly drawn to the art department. Being in the presence of artists, and fully immersed within the culture, was the main driver behind his commitment to becoming an artist. Talented and inspirational professors shaped his style, from graffiti letters to abstract organic paintings.
Ivan draws inspiration from movement, fluidity, and colors found in nature. He works as a full-time artist, showcasing his art in local galleries as well as creating murals for businesses.
Artist Statement
I am an abstract painter with an intuitive approach to mark making and the intention to discover anamorphic forms and contours that reference the natural world.
The process starts with stream of consciousness and freedom of outcome. Once the surface has structure, I begin to pull out ambiguous shapes. I isolate facets of the painting by adding vibrant tones, deep shades, and luminous highlights. I aim to reveal an imagined realm, leaving room for individual interpretation.
My work suggests rather than tells the viewer what to see. Each painting is a window into an ancient hallucinatory experience intended to propel the observer’s spectrum of reality.
Cascadia Daily News - From ball to brush: Soccer Player leaves artistic mark (feature)