Friends of Upstate: Colleen Herman

Friends of Upstate: Colleen Herman

We’ve been a long time admirer of Colleen’s positive and passion evergy, community involvement and stunning work. We are lucky enough to sit down for a delicious vegetarian lunch at her studio and discuss all things color, routine, adventure and living with intention. 

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Where are you right now? 

In a neighborhood called Santa Maria de Ribera in Mexico City. I'm here for an artist residency with Naranjo 141.

Can you tell us a little about a morning ritual or rituals you have throughout your day?

Morning is a sacred time for me as it sets the tone.....like infrastructure for the rest of the day.

I've been nurturing a meditation practice for a long time : but something clicked around this time last year to really commit to it. I get up - dry brush and oil (always EVERYDAY - always) and take a freezing cold shower. The oil acts as a kind of buffer for the body. I shove my face directly in the shower stream, and I think it has helped my rosacea and sensitive skin issues. The cold water shifts my breathing - and wakes everything up. Prepping the container for seated practice. I sit - and let the mantra - or prayer - or focus arise naturally. Sometimes I simply count inhales and exhales. The Insight Timer app is so useful for opening and closing the practice with specific sounds : gongs, a tuning fork, crystal bowls --- perfect for creating a habitual point of entry and exit that acts as a muscle memory each day.

You have an interesting story of how you got to where you are now in your career trajectory. Can you tell us a little bit about that and how you made the final decision to pursue painting as your full time career?

The common thread through the twists and turns on my creative path up to this point is hands on creative 'problem solving'. And maybe I'm still doing that to some degree, but in a far more existential way. I studied fine arts in school but needed a consistent income when I arrived to New York City, which prompted a focus in textiles. I thought it was the greatest loophole of all time : to get paid to make, paint, create, sew, dye, stitch - and then translate ideas into scarves or sheets or whatever. What I didn't factor in was that working for big brands left little brainspace for any of 'my own work'. After ten years in corporate - most of that time spent at Calvin Klein Home, followed by a few years freelancing for big fashion and beauty brands (Prada, Carolina Herrera, Aritzia, True Botanicals, Calvin again) I knew I needed a shift : and more autonomy. I started slow : keeping many many freelance hours - while simultaneously renting a studio to make my own work. A dedicated space changed everything and set something new in motion. I was able to cultivate habits and a reconnection to what feels most true in my heart, a full body yes. I made drawings - and paintings - and engaged with a new community of creatives and artists to hear about their processes : all the trials and tribulations, celebrations, and exaltations. We forged a group we refer to as 'Sunday Salons' named after Louise Bourgeois's famous Chelsea gatherings. I started to share my work, applied for residency, and was soon asked to be in a group show with some other artists in LA. This all felt organic and natural. Pursuing painting isn't a final decision, per say; it feels more like a spherical move back to some harmonious state within myself.

You have an interesting story of how you got to where you are now in your career trajectory. Can you tell us a little bit about that and how you made the final decision to pursue painting as your full time career?

The common thread through the twists and turns on my creative path up to this point is hands on creative 'problem solving'. And maybe I'm still doing that to some degree, but in a far more existential way. I studied fine arts in school but needed a consistent income when I arrived to New York City, which prompted a focus in textiles. I thought it was the greatest loophole of all time : to get paid to make, paint, create, sew, dye, stitch - and then translate ideas into scarves or sheets or whatever. What I didn't factor in was that working for big brands left little brainspace for any of 'my own work'. After ten years in corporate - most of that time spent at Calvin Klein Home, followed by a few years freelancing for big fashion and beauty brands (Prada, Carolina Herrera, Aritzia, True Botanicals, Calvin again) I knew I needed a shift : and more autonomy. I started slow : keeping many many freelance hours - while simultaneously renting a studio to make my own work. A dedicated space changed everything and set something new in motion. I was able to cultivate habits and a reconnection to what feels most true in my heart, a full body yes. I made drawings - and paintings - and engaged with a new community of creatives and artists to hear about their processes : all the trials and tribulations, celebrations, and exaltations. We forged a group we refer to as 'Sunday Salons' named after Louise Bourgeois's famous Chelsea gatherings. I started to share my work, applied for residency, and was soon asked to be in a group show with some other artists in LA. This all felt organic and natural. Pursuing painting isn't a final decision, per say; it feels more like a spherical move back to some harmonious state within myself.

What is your process like from the beginning to end in your work?

Sweeping is a big meditation for me anywhere I'm working. I enter studio, change my shoes, and often sweep. It puts me right in the room - intimate with the floorboards and the physical space itself. Helps my body find a rhythm : an embodied state. Then I spend a lot of time looking at what happened the day before : assessing the proof of yesterday's dance. Sometimes I know just what to do and the body takes over. Other times I have to slow down and keep looking. I've learned this through my own trials of speedily pushing too much and too fast into the work; which doesn't end well and causes me frustration for wasting precious painting materials. So now I go slow : but have a few works going on at once so I can keep fresh eyes on something by focusing for a while on something else. Some paintings are done quite quick and others have spanned many months into years time of completion. My body knows when a painting is done and I'm doing my best to fortify this felt knowledge and not overthink - overwork - overanalyze.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Inspiration comes when I notice a striking relationship between colors and patterns, in food, fashion, or 'nature'. I don't seek it necessarily, it is there for all of us. Being open and receptive to inspiration is a part of fortifying the body mind : being clear enough to see and hear it, acknowledge it - assimilate it and allow it to come through. New inspirations force new ways and results of working. 

What do you do if you feel like you’re in a creative rut?

Go see shows. Gallery hop, walk the Met. I've replayed La Belle Noiseuse countless times : that always helps.

Where do you create?

I spend a lot of time creating in the studio - but maybe just as much outside it these days. My work is *constantly* on my mind, so a lot of creation happens wherever.

What is a typical day like for you?

Honestly there are not many typical days --- I do my best to enter a flow state : post my morning routine. That's becomes a non-negotiable. However, the week is punctuated with high priority engagements that help set a structure : weekly Iyengar class, MOVES dance class, long walks in upstate New York. 

When do you feel like your truest self?

The feelings are more and more consistent these days that my truest self just is : and not something outside of my current paradigm. 

Can you tell us what your favorite Upstate item is and why?

I'm a big fan of Upstate sweats, silk pillowcases, and glassware.....the glasses and pitchers are so mindblowingly beautiful and each piece unique. But I have to say my favorite item is my Banda Raw silk beach throw - which triples as a sarong and a table cloth. I fell in love with the warm yellow next to the creamy raw silk : it oozes sexy Italian summer riviera. 

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