Colleen is an Atlanta College of Art graduate with a degree in cell animation. After finishing school, she realized that her true passion was painting. She has painted for four years. Initially, she used spray paint, but got more serious and moved to acrylic.
On Local regulars: "We get hipsters, yuppies and lonely people. The weekend crowd is a little different. More 9 to 5'ers, you know, your weekend warriors."
"You have to have social skills to bartend and wait tables. When I'm not at the bar, I'm quieter and I keep more to myself. When I'm working at the bar, it's like I'm onstage."
"[When bartending], I get mad when people try to tell me how to make their drinks, like I don't know what I'm doing. They're like, 'Make it good.'"
"When I'm waiting tables, I don't like it when people ignore me like I'm some kind of retard. Pay attention to your server."
If you need any extra encouragement in heeding Colleen's words, just consider that she kickboxes, takes Tae Kwon Do and, like many of her coworkers, is a hockey fiend. She grew up in Queens and has the tough accent to prove it.
As some of you may know, the Local has a rather rambunctious karaoke night on Mondays. Colleen occasionally takes the stage and performs. Favorite song to sing? "Anything by Hanson."
Favorite drink: "Maker's on the rocks. I've drank a lot of whiskey the past few years. Let me tell you something: Whiskey rot-gut is no joke."
"[The Local's] like my really dysfunctional second family. You go through happy times and sad times, births and deaths, weddings and divorces. People will drink to anything. ... But I really listen to what they're saying. ... I like my job. It lets me do my artwork."
Colleen is participating in a group show in July at Young Blood Gallery. The show will feature artwork about bicycles. For more information, visit www.carfreeyouth.org.
