Artist Profile Dorte Colja
Dorte started painting late in life, in 2017 she had retired from work and ended her many years as a competitor and an official in the horsesport Endurance Riding.
Having always been very interested in art, but never had time to learn any artform, she now through herself into it. She is largely self-taught, started watercolours, soft pastels and acrylics, mostly finding information on the web, but later had tuition in acrylics from Samuel Moffat and then Julie Poulson who widened Dorte’s knowledge with charcoal Life drawing, mono-printing and other techniques. Molly Duncan introduced Dorte to Oil and Cold Wax, working with silicone tools rather than brushes, this is now her favourite medium.
Dorte had tried her hand with many different painting styles, Impressionism, Abstract, Expressionism and many others. She keeps expanding her knowledge and enjoys trying new styles and techniques. but working with strong vibrant colours in an expressionistic style is Dorte’s preference.
Subjects have also been very varied, landscapes, still life, portraits and animal portraits, seascapes and abstracts, Dorte will try anything that interest her.
Nature is Dorte’s inspiration, the colours of the Australian landscape in particular, from deserts to tropical rainforests and everything in between. Trees and their bark hold her deep interest, the colours and textures fascinate her. You will find her paintings very often include these colours and textures, reflecting her enjoyment of the diversity of the nature surrounding her.
Belonging to a group of likeminded artists has been a great help to Dorte, James Street Artists is one such a group of artists that Dorte enjoy being a part of, a group supporting and encouraging each other to produce the best art they can and finding ways of improving and exhibiting their works where possible.
Rose Knight, a well-known Landscape artist, encouraged Dorte to exhibit and is a great support and help with all things relating to presentation and preparation of artwork for exhibitions, selection of materials and frame building. These things are as important as being able to paint.
Dorte admire the works of many artists, most of the Australian impressionists are on her list of favourites, but top is Arthur Streeton, she sees his impressionistic Australian landscape paintings as perfection. To take in the light and colours in his work is sheer enjoyment. A modern-day artist she admires is Richard Musgrave Evans from South Australia, a landscape painter, using bold colours and broad strokes using a pallet knife, he paints vivid SA landscapes full of light and movement.
Dorte has artworks hanging not only in Australia but also in USA, Great Britain, Norway and Denmark and have exhibited around Australia. She has won awards at several exhibitions for watercolour, oil and acrylics and multimedia.
Exhibitions: Doyle’s Gallery Gold Coast, Court House Gallery Cairns, Tanks Art Centre Cairns, Cairns Gallery, Kite Gallery, Cairns, Crate56 Cairns, Cairns Museum, ArtView Gallery, MissionArts Mission Beach, Hinchinbrook Gallery, Gladstone regional Gallery, Springsure Gallery, Contemporary art society of Victoria, Herring Island Melbourne, Blue Square Braemar NSW, and others.
Finalist at Doyles, Gold Coast, Lethbridge Salon des Refusés
Dorte says:
For me Creating Art is a continuing journey, you become absorbed in your work and you never know where your ideas will take you, it’s a wonderful enriching journey.