 Why art?
This is my "encore career". After toiling away 20 years in
technology and marketing jobs, 911 and a significant health scare, I
began thinking of my legacy. Would it be developing a high tech
product, or new marketing campaign? Probably not. Both of
those careers create ephemeral results. I wanted more, and having
forgot to have children ;-), I realized that if I wanted to leave the
world a better place than when I entered, I new I'd need to re-think
things. I also saw the world change, from the optimism and
exciting changes in the 60's, to the greed and paranoia of the post 911
world. People need escapes. One of the highest complements
collectors give is "I feel like I've
been to that place, I'm taken
there". That's my motivation.
How I got here
The creation of art is
considered "mysterious", at least in American culture. I was struck on
a trip to Chile in the '90's, how expressive the Latin American
culture is. Walking through a park, there were children drawing with
colored chalk on the sidewalk, young adults
sketching, and musicians playing and singing. It seemed to me this
culture was not
intimidated by art. I think many Americans are, and that's a
shame. There should be no mystery. Everyone has something to say,
and a way to say it. I guess this intimidation comes from the
judgements others make when they see art. No one can judge your
art, but you. It's your trace of life. It's also hard work
and
study, not "talent". I'm not a fan of that word. I guess
it's true that some people may have more of a natural tendancy than
others to draw, or show other skills, but it should never be an excuse
not
to express. Everything I do can be learned. I also dislake
"talent" because I think it discounts the hard work that goes into
building skill.
 My viewpoint
In physics, it's said, "for every action, there is a reaction".
My reaction to the beauty I see in life is paint. What and how I
paint is based on an
emotional connection to a subject. I can paint the same scene
dozens, hundreds of times with differing results because I'm not a
camera. I don't paint unless I have something new to say--unless
I'm focused on learning, which is actually quite often. Like a
musician who plays scales, I paint studies that have no particular
meaning, other than a lesson, often to connect with the physicality of
paint, surface, and so on. This also means that I have multiple
personalities! This sometimes confounds collectors, because I
have more than one "style". I'm not consistent, because the confluence
of emotional reaction, scale, materials and many other factors come
into play. My art isn't planned, so the result is not
predictable. I admire some artists for their firm viewpoint and
definitive work, but that's not me. One reason I believe some
artists paint with a very specific viewpoint is market
expectations. I won't allow my art to suffer at the hands of
market expectations. I hope collectors buy my art because they
have a connection with an indivudal painting.
What I choose to paint is often tied to what I need to learn. At
times, my focus may be on finding the beauty in the most simple,
mundane topic, and others--usually around the time I need a break from
painting--I need a grand scene to spark that reaction.
Regardless of this statement, I hope my art connects with you. I hope I
take you there.
Selected Exhibitions, Awards & Press
Press
- American Landscapes (2011 calender) (link)
- American Artist Workshop magazine, June, 2010,
"Workshops as Shared Experience", painting at the Fobes' Timberfield (link)
- AMERICAN ARTIST, April, 2009, 8-page cover story,
"Modern
Ways to Sell Traditional Art" (link)
- "What Secret Oil Color Do You Love Most?", Artist
Daily, Steve Doherty's Blog, 2009 (link)
- PALO ALTO WEEKLY, Artist of Note, August, 2005
- OUT & ABOUT magazine article, August, 2005
- LOS ALTOS TOWN CRIER, "Terpening's Expressive
Landscapes
come to Viewpoints", August, 2005
Awards
- FINALIST, RAYMAR ART COMPETITION 2007
- HONORABLE MENTION, Vahona Plein Air, 2007
- "MAKING A MARK" (London, UK), Best Plein Air Blog 2006
- FIRST PLACE, San Luis Obispo Plein Air 2006
- DIRECTOR'S CHOICE Purchase Prize, Estes Park Plein
Air 2006
- HONORABLE MENTIONS, Hidden Villa Plein Air 2006,;
"Face
& Figure", Pacific Art League
2005; "Small Works", Pacific Art League 2005
- SOLO POSTCARD SELECTIONS: "California Dream'n" PAL
'05;
"Full Spectrum: All About Color"
PAL '05
- ARTIST OF NOTE, Palo Alto Weekly, 8/05
Selected Exhibitions
- Door County Plein Air Festival, 2010
- "Twighlight on the Terrace" (Heast Castle), 2010
- Two-man Show with Andy Balantyne, Viewpoints Gallery,
2009
- North Tahoe Plein Air, 2009
- San Luis Obispo Plein Air, 2009
- SOLO SHOW: "TIMELESS", Robert Lewis Gallery, 2007
- Telluride Plein Air 2007
- San Luis Obispo Plein Air ('06, FIRST PLACE-'07)
- "Jewel by the Bay", Frank Bette Center, '07
- Gold Country Plein Air Invitational, The Vault
Gallery
('06-'07)
- Solo Show, Robert Lewis Gallery ('07)
- Vahona Plein Air, Eppherson Gallery (HONORABLE
MENTION, '07)
- San Luis
Obispo Plein Air Invitational, 2006 (FIRST PLACE)
- Estes Park
Plein Air Invitational 2006 (DIRECTOR'S CHOICE PURCHASE PRIZE)
- "My California Views",
National
Steinbeck Center/Museum ('06)
- Autumn
Colors Show, Viewpoints Gallery, Los Altos, CA ('06)
- "Best of Plein
Air Exhibition", Laguna Plein Air Painters of America ('06)
- Los
Gatos Art Association Juried Exhibition, Los Gatos Museum ('06)
- Peninsula Plein Air Exhibition 2006, Juried Artist
- SOLO SHOW:
"The Expessive Landscape", Viewpoints Gallery, Los Altos, CA ('05)
- SOLO SHOW: "The Expressive Landscape", Viewpoints
Gallery,
2005
- Central Coast National Fine Art
Competition ('04, '05, '06)
- Point Reyes Plein Air Festival,
Invited Artist ('05)
- Hidden Villa Plein Air
Competition ('05, HONORABLE MENTION)
- Laguna Plein Air Painters
Membership Juried Exhibition ('05)
- Nash Gallery, "Verde Plein Air"
Show ('05)
- "Touch my heART - That's Amore!"
show at Museum of Los Gatos ('05)
- Los Gatos Plein Air Art Festival
Competition 2004 (juried artist)
- Laguna Plein Air Painters
Association "Artists Members National Juried Exhibit 2004"; "Meet the
Muse", juried figurative show, 2004
- Viewpoints
Gallery
"Into Plein Air" ('04), "New Figurative Works" ('04), "Interior
Passages ('04), "Rumors of Red ('05); "Carnivale" ('05); "The Color of
Water" ('05); "Faces & Places" ('05); "Open Spaces" (''05).
- Golden Oak Gallery (Saratoga,
CA): "Plein Air California: Capturing the Light Within Form", premier
show ofthe Verde Artist Guild; "Destinations
of the Heart" ('04); "Sweet Dreams" ('04); "Our Precious Earth" ('04);
"Waters of Life" ('05); "Coming Home" ('05).
- Eriksen Gallery, "Small Wonders"
Group Show, '04; "Winter Scapes", Group Show '05
- Pacific Art League of Palo Alto:
"Splash" '05, California Dream'n '05 (painting
selected
for postcard); Full Spectrum (all about color), painting
selected
for postcard ('05); "Small Works", December 2 –January 8,
2004; "Mug Shots" (portraits, 8/03); "All about Paper" (4/03); "Small
Works (2005, HONORABLE
MENTION); "Face & Figure" (HONORABLE
MENTION).
- California Art Club Angel Island
"Paint Out" 2004
- Silicon Valley Open
Studios, '03,04', '05); Open Studios Jurried "Star" 2004.
Peninsula Open Studios ('03, '04).
- I
(and my painting) were featured on KOCE TV's coverage of the annual
Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters show (7/03)
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