Colley was born in Brisbane, Australia in 1966. He grew up in semi-rural surrounds which gave him an appreciation for nature and the outdoors, enjoying every opportunity he was given to study and appreciate its nuances. In 1985 he had a brief stint as a picture framer which he now looks back upon as an excellent introduction to the art world as a young adult.
After giving him all the necessary fundamentals required in becoming an artist, his father Eric encouraged and guided his early artistic direction.
Colley has long believed “It’s not what you paint but how you paint it”. With this in the forefront of his mind he has dedicated himself to developing his skills to the highest level possible. He is aiming to tell a visual story with clarity and sophistication but he is also driven to distort and abstract the image as much as possible while still maintaining a realistic image. He is deeply honoured to be able to regularly hold exhibitions, tutoring appointments, judging and demonstrations in Australia and abroad. To carry the tag as quoted "one of Australia’s finest Impressionist painters" is a great personal achievement of Colley's
My first Solo Exhibition at age of 24 was a sell-out, a very encouraging sign to launch my career. Since then I have held numerous Solo and Joint Exhibitions. I have also written articles in Australia, United States, South Africa & International Artist Magazine's. I am the author of 2 books "Creating Impressionist Landscape in Oil" - 2001 & "Impressionist Painting Made Easy" - 2009. These books and my DVD's are both sought after by collectors, artists and libraries nationally and internationally.
My aim is to share my knowledge and joy of painting with like-minded artists world-wide. Throughout my career I have been blessed to be able to share this wonderful artistic journey with my wife and 2 sons.
This journey is ongoing and I look forward to each time I return to my easel.
