Troy Collins

The vibrant colors in “A Song of Love” by Fall Arts Festival featured artist Troy Collins reveal his delight in rendering the Western landscape in different seasons. He sometimes uses his hands to apply globs of paint to a canvas, then manipulates the colors with a palette knife.

Perseverance pays off for featured artist TROY COLLINS

2022 Fall Arts Festival’s featured artist paints with impressionist flair and colorful style.

By Emily Christensen

You could say that Troy Collins, the featured artist for this year’s Fall Arts Festival, began his art career by washing another painter’s brushes.

That was more than 20 years ago, when Collins owned a landscaping business. He met Robert Moore, then as now a well-known contemporary landscape painter, on a job. The two men became friends, and Collins began working as Moore’s studio assistant during the offseason.

“Basically, my job was to do everything from cleaning brushes to packing and shipping paintings to talking to galleries,” Collins said. “Everything that I could possibly do to keep him busy painting.

“When I got finished up with all of my stuff for him, then I would just throw a canvas up and some paint and start doodling.”

Moore offered to teach Collins how to paint. A few years later Moore introduced his student to some gallery owners, and Collins made the transition to the life of a full-time artist.

It was Collins’ second major career change. He worked as a teacher for a couple of years but missed working outdoors like he did when he had landscaping summer jobs in college.

Teaching “was super fulfilling and fun, but I knew it wasn’t going to be the ultimate path for me,” Collins said. Instead he was pulled toward “using my hands and using my creativity.

“I thought I was going to be working outside because I absolutely loved it,” Collins said. “I did it for 10 or 12 years, and I thought I had the best job on the planet. When I met Robert, that all changed.

“Now I can’t imagine digging holes and putting sprinkler heads in right now.”

Collins is 53 and glad he transitioned into his third career in his late 20s. He was able to do so in part because of the support of his wife, Gina, who handles the business side of his art practice.

“I need to give credit to my wife for a lot of what’s going on in my career, because she’s kind of the marketing genius,” he said.

“It takes more than just my creative ability and hard work and perseverance,” he said. “Probably the biggest reason why I’m where I’m at right now is just the amount of work and responsibility she’s taken on so I can just concentrate on the creative aspect.”

Collins’ “bread and butter” is painting aspen trees in different seasons with his trademark impressionist style and colorful flair. Aspens feature in his painting “The Grand-

Aspen trees are Collins’ bread and butter. This oil painting is “The Magic and the Mystery.”