It Pays To

Born in Duluth, Minnesota and currently living about 30 miles from his hometown of Maple, Wisconsin, Colin Wiita has been creating artwork for the past 20 years. He received an M.A. in studio art from the University of Wisconsin—Superior in 2010. His experience there reinforced his belief that artwork can serve as a visual tool for communication. His goal as an artist is to express his views of the world around him using satirical, primitive, and whimsical approaches.

He says, "I choose to work with mixed medium, as it lends itself to an endless variety of options for expression. The found object or found image plays a large role in my work. It is these found objects that connect my work to the world around it. For me it brings a connection to the artwork, the artist, and the audience, that transcends using only traditional means."

Colin's family is his biggest influence, and he gains insight from them daily. His current work draws inspiration from that of his children. The freedom in their work has encouraged him to reassess his aesthetic sensibility and explore new combinations of texture, color, line, shape and form.