Colin Green

Operating under the creative identity of Broke Canvas, Picton-based visual artist Colin Green specializes in graphic design, acrylic painting, collage, and murals. With an unmistakable style rooted in nostalgia, street culture, and the belief that every vintage item has a story to tell, Colin’s self-taught journey as an artist began when he was young, influenced by shows like Art Attack, leading him to eventually freelancing in graphic design as a teenager.

After several years spent working as an auto mechanic, Colin’s artistic spark reignited during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by street art and graffiti, his creative expression embraces the idea of reclaiming unconventional spaces for creativity.

From mixed media paintings that transform vintage books and newspapers into vibrant works of art, to capturing more quiet moments on canvas (see: Point to Cross, a street-level view of Picton’s Main Street intersection at night), Colin’s goal is to connect with people on a deeper level by highlighting the beauty in the unconventional and the overlooked.

“My artistic practice varies across mediums, but for my landscape and cityscape work it begins with finding a location, photographing it, and then using photo editing tools to shape the colours and composition,” he says. “Once the reference is built, the hard work feels done, and I get to the fun part of painting.”

Colin is one of two County Arts Artists in Residence, along with multimedia artist Danielle Reddick, who are working in the County Arts Lab for the month of January. Both Colin and Danielle are taking over the space for the month, using it as their respective studio spaces. The public is invited to the Lab for two special residency events: Open Studio on Wednesday, January 14th, 2026 from 2-4 PM, and Residency Exhibition on Saturday January 24th, 2026 from 1-5 PM.

Don’t miss these exciting opportunities to see what these two are working on during the residency, and read on to learn more about Colin’s recent work, advice he has for artists, and more!

Tell us about your upcoming projects:

My residency with County Arts began at the end of December, where I’ll have a full month of studio time to produce several large paintings, including my third 8-by-8-foot canvas. Each piece will be created on hand-built frames and will feature well-known Prince Edward County landmarks. I’ll be exhibiting the completed works at the end of the residency, and the event will be free to attend, with a portion of sales supporting the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation.

What have you worked on recently that has you excited?

I’ve recently been working with spray paint on legal street art walls, experimenting with scale, colour, and more expressive mark-making. It’s been energizing, and it has me really excited to seek out mural opportunities in 2026.

What advice would you give to artists just starting out in their careers?

I still consider myself an emerging artist, but what has helped me the most so far is building connections with other local artists and applying to every art call I can. Putting yourself out there creates opportunities you don’t even know exist yet.

Tell us about a piece of media you’ve been loving lately:

My nerdy side has me tuning into the Syntax Web Development podcast to stay up to date on programming and web design.