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Terry's Bio
I am one of the millions of "self-taught" artists in the world today, but am very blessed that my art has brought me notice and opportunity I could never have imagined. I've attained Signature Status in the Pastel Society of
America
. I'm a member of and Wisconsin Ambassador for the Portrait Society of
America
. I teach workshops in
Wisconsin
and beyond and am so very fortunate to have met and become friends with some truly wonderful artists from throughout the country. I often wonder how all this happened! A synopsis for those who are interested...
The phrase "self-taught" is surely a misnomer. As is the case with many of my peers, I have probably read more art instruction books, visited more museums and galleries to study great works and sought out more instruction that a lot of the university-trained artists. I consider that I have had hundreds of teachers, not just the few that are employed by one school. The path leading to who and what I am today has been a long one with some side-roads taken, but I have been directed back to it time and again.
My paintings brought me to the attention of the Richeson family, who have one of the leading art materials manufacturing and distribution businesses in the country. Through some fluke of fate, they purchased a couple of my pastel paintings, I struck up a friendship with Michelle Richeson and somehow I am now Director of the new
Richeson
School
of Art & Gallery in
Kimberly
,
Wisconsin
. Jack and the Richeson family have brought me opportunity for personal and professional growth I could never have otherwise attained and I consider them largely responsible for my success in the visual arts.
I would be remiss at this point if I did not also acknowledge my father, John Howell, who encouraged and nurtured my love of art: He's the guy who brought me an entry form for the first art competition I ever entered and won: Coloring a Golden Gurnsey Dairy picture...the bright orange udders and some other rather imaginative embellishments won me tickets to see Pinnochio at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee at the tender age of five. He's the guy who brought home reams of scrap paper from his accounting office for me to draw on (I was a very prolific artist from the start!). He's the one who helped me fight for the right to do representational art when I was a feisty high school freshman bucking the abstract expressionist art teacher.
My husband Tom spent years supporting my "art habit." He sweated through the art festivals and fairs with me, helped lug my tent and heavy framed paintings over innumerable gopher-holed park lawns and now delights in the success these efforts have wrought. My beautiful daughter Marie has also done her part. Both Tom and Marie have morphed into lovers of original art and I can always count on them both to give me honest and informed critique when I run into an artist's block! Without Tom, Marie and my Dad, success wouldn't be nearly as sweet.
Artist's Statement
One of the things I most enjoy about the time we live in, is being able to share my art through venues like the Internet. Artists are often asked to supply an "Artist's Statement." In this statement, the artist usually takes the opportunity to explain the societal relevance of their work. The "raison d'etre" of my art is not to comment on the political scene, nor is it a metaphor for my personal philosophy or my religious beliefs. The pure and simple truth is that I create art because I need to do so. The color or the form or the line of my subjects speak to me and demand their translation to paper or canvas. I can no more ignore that demand than I can stop breathing. This is not to say that once in a while I don't slip in a social commentary or a piece that is just plain fun... I do...but my main motivation is quite simply to attempt to interpret, convey and preserve the aesthetic of the world and the people that surround us. I hope you find something here that speaks to you and I thank you for visiting. If you have any comments or critques, or would like information about purchasing an artwork - or commissioning one - please contact me.
 Oil Portrait of Terry Howell Stanley by
Jeff Hargreaves, Appleton, WI
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