IMPOSTER SYNDROME NO MORE: Colleen Denning Wins 'Best in Show' With First-Time Entry
Denning’s portrait, 'Nightwatch' on display now through New Year in annual juried exhibition at the Pablo Center
Pam Anderson, photos by Evelyn Nelson |
Imposter syndrome – the fear of exposure as a “fraud” – is common across all professions but is perhaps most common among creatives. Just ask Colleen Denning, a local artist who has been painting for years but just recently mustered the courage to enter the Confluence of Art Exhibit, housed at the Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire).
“Shame on me for not believing in myself until now,” Denning said.
In this juried art exhibit – on display now – regional and national artists are invited to submit photographs of their work of varied form, style and media. Fifty works were selected for the show by juror Jerrika Mighelle, a singer/songwriter from Eau Claire, and then judged by Teva Dekel, an area fashion and jewelry designer, who determined which pieces would be awarded top honors.
(Denning's) desire to tell a story on canvas paired with her observant eye and natural talent makes her an artist Eau Claire should keep an eye on.
Denning said she was stunned to learn that her acrylic and gold leaf painting entitled Nightwatch took the highest award, the Best of Show ribbon. Nightwatch, the kind of painting one gets lost in, has a magical feel.
A viewer’s eyes are first drawn to the primary objects, a mystical moon shining over a girl and wolf, but eventually settle on the intricacies: a layer of feathers, the bark of the birch trees, a glistening spider’s web.
This attention to detail is time-consuming – Nightwatch took over 200 hours to paint, Denning said – but also a purposeful part of her work.
“There is so much going on around us that we’re missing,” Denning said. She wants to draw us in, asking us to pay attention to what we often overlook.
Denning incorporates varied natural settings into her paintings because she hopes to promote the idea of connection between humans and nature.
Denning and her boyfriend are actively immersed in the natural world at home, surrounded by their chickens, bees, large garden and their dog, Klaus.
She has no formal training as an artist, but arrived to the Confluence of Art exhibit with years of practice.
As a child, Denning was drawn to visual art, entering (and winning!) coloring contests at local grocery stores. She dreamt of her future artist-self, wearing a beret and perched in a boat somewhere in France.
This desire to take her art to the next level came later, when she was mesmerized by a painting at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and wondered at the artist’s use of light.
Denning noted she “has always been driven by curiosity, always needing to know the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of things” – and so she continued her exploration, refining her skills and improving her process.
Her recent blue-ribbon win has given her a confidence boost, allowing her to trust herself as an artist. This desire to tell a story on canvas paired with her observant eye and natural talent makes her an artist Eau Claire should keep an eye on.
Find Colleen Denning's work — and the work of many other area artists — at the Pablo Center (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire) through Jan. 24, 2026.
