ARTIST STATEMENT
My series of bead weavings started during the pandemic when I needed something new to try. The weaving quickly turned into an obsession. The weavings are titled after old Irish female names, which is part of my heritage. I find creating abstract art to be quite challenging, but I am enjoying finding meaning in the colors and designs.
“Fiadh” is pronounced “fee-a” and means “wild’ in Gaelic.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Colleen O’Rourke was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Growing up in an artistic home, she began creating art in her early childhood. She received her Associate of Arts degree from the Grand Rapids Community College and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Michigan. Colleen began working with seed beads while studying at the University of Michigan and has utilized the medium to this day. She has taken the beads beyond their traditional role as adornment and put them in the spotlight as a fine art medium. Despite their diminutive size, the seed beads can create bold, powerful statements, as well as subtle dreamscapes in the compositions she creates.
© Colleen O’Rourke