Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, Colleen Wilcox creates colorful pieces such as acrylics on canvas for example. Her creations are inspired by life on the islands, and the beauty of nature among other sources. She uses design elements gleaned for her outside explorations and incorporates vibrant colors, organic forms, and bold lines to bring energy and movement. In her new series « Tropical Fish », the artist used wonderful and bright colors to depict the beauty of different species from her home of Hawaii.

« A few years ago I painted a sea shell collection on wood and I really enjoyed the process of learning about the types of shells found in Hawaii, and recreating paintings of them from photos. This time I decided to do another collection on wood featuring reef fish found in the islands », she explains. To do so, she swam and snorkeled a lot to be inspired by the beauty and diversity of her local beaches. « I enjoyed researching different types of fish found in Hawaii, including ones I haven’t seen before, and learning about their unique characteristics », she adds.

« Painting on wood made the colors look bright, and not including a background was a simple change from my usual canvas paintings », Wilcox explains. While making this series, the artist liked how the thick wood canvases she used could stand on their own and be arranged in the owner’s house without a need to hang on the wall.

Follow her work on Youtube, Instagram or her website.