Updates from Terri on Her Art Journey
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God willing, next month I will be traveling to Greece for a ten-day trip around Athens and the Greek islands. The purpose is twofold: to learn about the culture, food and history of this amazing place and, of course, to take reference photos for future paintings.
My art instructor and business coach, Rod Moore, recently got back from a tour of Europe, where he took some stunning photographs. So, I asked him what camera he used and what advice he could give me. Here’s his response: “I took my GoPro 10 and all the attachments etc with me to Europe and didn’t get it out of the suitcase.” Instead, he used his mobile phone! “The technology in phones today for photography and video is first rate,” Rod wrote me. “I would upgrade my phone to the latest model rather than buy any form of camera to take.” So, I did just that! Actually, my generous husband upgraded my iPhone to the 14 Pro Max for me. He’s so sweet. And while Ralph was willing to buy me an even more expensive camera for my trip to Greece, I took Rod’s advice and opted for the mobile phone. And I’m loving my new camera (er, phone). Yes, I use my iPhone 14 Pro Max more as a camera than a phone. It has three lenses and takes incredibly sharp photos. So sharp, in fact, that it picks up wrinkles on my face I didn’t know I had! This photo of a butterfly hovering over the flowers on my deck is the first picture I took using my new camera. I can’t wait to put this mobile phone/camera to use in Greece!
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For the month of August, I’ve been consistently posting paintings of my trees on Facebook. So far, every day for the past three weeks I’ve posted a tree from my 31TREES series. God willing, I shall post ten more by the end of this month.
Most of these paintings have been in acrylics in an impressionistic style. A few have been abstract or from my imagination. Nearly all of them have been from reference photos I’ve taken on various trips or near my vacation home in New England. This week, I learned something interesting from CNN about trees. According to a 2020 study, ancient trees are in global decline. “Despite their demonstrated resilience across centuries, ancient trees might struggle to adapt to the rapid environmental and climatic shifts anticipated in the years ahead.” How sad. We need trees. They’re vital for the health of nature, people and planet. As CNN put it, “They’re your childhood climbing frame, a canopy to shelter from the rain, a shady place to have a picnic; they offer sanctuary, fruit, a home for wildlife, protection against flooding and pollution, and an insight into the hidden history of the land.” God obviously created them for a purpose! So, while I may not be able to personally save a tree. I can paint a tree. And I will continue to do so. In fact, I shall make it a practice to paint (or at least take a picture of) a tree from wherever I visit for the rest of my painting life. Thank you, Lord, for making trees. On the first of August, I started another series of paintings. If you’ve been following me on my Terri Thompson Art Facebook page, then you know what the subject matter is: TREES.
This is the third series I’ve painted this year. There were 28 SUNFLOWERS in February, and 30 SKIES in March. God willing, there will be 31 TREES during the month of August. As I’ve explained previously, there are a couple of reasons I like to paint in a series. Mostly it’s because the challenge keeps me focussed and disciplined since it requires me to paint and post daily. But why trees, you might ask? For the answer to that question, I’ve adapted Joyce Kilmer’s famous poem: I think that I shall never see a PAINTING lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, and lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in summer wear a nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; who intimately lives with rain. ART is made by fools like me, BUT ONLY GOD CAN MAKE A TREE. Long have I been fascinated by the beauty of God’s creations in nature, and nothing displays it better than a tree. The variety made possible by geography and changing seasons is amazing. And for this series in particular, I’ve gotten a lot of help from the Holy Spirit. I can feel God co-creating with me. I give all the glory to Him. Last weekend, I displayed some of my acrylic paintings at an Artists Showcase sponsored by Lakeridge, the gated community in northwestern Connecticut where I spend much of the summer. For this exhibit, I chose only scenes of Lakeridge and the surrounding area, particularly Burr Mountain State Forest, which abuts Lakeridge.
Among the paintings I showed were Lakeridge’s horse stable, its West Lodge community center, the gazebo over Ridge Pond, and lots of the Burr Pond and surrounding forest, mostly in autumn colors. Lakeridge has lots of very talented artists, including sculptors, a fabric artist, jewelry maker, movie producer, a professional photographer and an exceptionally gifted painter (not me!). We also have plenty of young up-and-comers who displayed their work. I don’t think any of us were expecting to sell our artworks. So, I was quite surprised when folks started asking if they could buy my paintings! Well, sure, I’m happy to sell my creations, thanks for asking!! By the end of the exhibit, I had sold more than a third of the dozen paintings on display. Pictured with me here are some of my happy customers. And a few people asked if I’d be willing to teach a workshop here at Lakeridge. Apparently, I’ve found my market. |
AuthorTerri Thompson is a journalist-turned-visual artist, who is on an "art journey" and exploring how to tell her stories through her watercolor and acrylic paintings and photographs. Categories |