#ArtistAtHome is a series of portraits and profiles of local artists by Christopher Edmonstone. Read all about it and see the archive HERE.
This #ArtistAtHome is a talented actress, singer and songwriter. Please meet Colleen Rennison. As a child actor, she became the youngest person to win a Gemni Award, at the age of thirteen. Since then, she has made numerous television and film appearances with some of the biggest names in the business. She is also a very talented and dynamic rock/soul/blues/country singer, and fronts her own band called No Sinner. In 2014, she combined both of these artistic talents by appearing in the film 'Down River' and performing her song 'Molly', for which she received a Canadian Screen Award nomination.
I have photographed her musical performances numerous times, from the Biltmore Cabaret to the Squamish Valley Music Festival, and many places in between. It was late afternoon in February of last year when I arrived at her apartment for this particular photo shoot. The rain had just broken and the sun was making a welcome appearance. Colleen's door buzzer wasn't working, so she had to toss me her house keys from the third floor window. After opening the door, I put them in my pocket, began loading my gear into her place and completely forgot about them. It wasn't until I had left after the shoot and was about to board the Skytrain that I realized I still had her keys in my pocket. I felt awful about it, but luckily, I was able to drop them off at The Cobalt where her friend was DJ'ing later that evening.
We have hung out a few times since then, and she has told me that this photo was taken on one of her worst days in recent memory (following a broken engagement). When she looks at it, she sees the pain in her eyes, and notes how strange it is to have the moment documented. My heartfelt thanks to Colleen for being a part of this series, when the desire to cancel would have been tempting for most people. Be sure to check out her webpage to have a listen to her music and for upcoming show dates.
Colleen Rennison at home.
