Teri Wing

I started drawing at a young age, when I was told to be still and quiet, which was usually at church or a waiting room of some sort. I was handed a pen and an old envelope or the back of a grocery list. I would draw the people around me, which I still do today if I have a long wait…as I still have trouble sitting still.
Painting is a calming and meditative process for me, making art takes me to a place where everything around me stands still except for the focus of my art, and the story I imagine around it.
While I enjoy painting landscapes and still life, the figure is my passion. We all relate to human emotion and experiences, it’s universal, I use the figure to express feelings of mood, character, and mystery using colour and texture to convey this…no matter the subject. Dramatic lighting is what excites and inspires me to paint, I prefer my art to be contemplative, mysterious and a bit melancholy. I strive for all of my art to be beautiful, thought provoking and timeless.
I paint from photographs, a lot I take myself, but most are from old black and white photos … of people I don’t know. I find them at flea markets and antique shops. I can’t resist them, not sure if it’s their stoic faces, the beautiful and elegant fashion, the drama of the black and white contrasts or the realization of time and memory and that at some point we may just be forgotten. I take these photos and give them a new life in my art. A life only imagined. I hope viewers will do the same, that they will find a connection or that maybe sparks a memory so that they can make their own story, one that’s personal to them.
I use a limited palette so that the pieces are quiet and allows the viewer to spend time with it, relax into it and discover a story of their own.
While I have no technical background, I do self-teach with the many books on old masters and by visiting galleries and museums.

Method and Materials

I use a limited palette, no more than 6 colours for a harmony and balance, this also helps with composition and tone. I use oils and cold wax medium because I like the matt finish it gives the art, which I mix together, ratio varies and also keep a small amount of the wax on my palette for blending.
Most times I prefer a palette knife but flat brushes are my next choice. I like a bold stroke as they help me to stay a bit looser… which I continue to strive for.
I paint on canvas as well as board, both have their advantages.