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WHAT MEDIUM DO I PREFER?:
My first love was watercolor. The brief dynamic link between medium, atmospheric conditions, and paper is always an amazement to me. To be a master of this medium takes many years, endless encounters, and adaptability to constant changing conditions, which means that I can paint watercolors for my entire life and never tire.
In 2005 I began working with oils. The medium does not allow me the spontaneity that watercolor offers, although I will concede that it does offer me more technical precision. I suppose with time it will evolve.
When visiting galleries, I enjoy looking at paintings that display personality and emotion. I suppose you can get caught up in a "taught" technique and forget why you are painting in the first place. Have we forgotten that cameras take pictures today? Those bland academic-looking paintings; If you've seen one, you've seen them all. I view that art as threating to the true possibilies of an artist. I see these artists as being trapped inside the confines of their instructor. All art is special and each artist should respect and nurture one other. I am especially taken by artists who work in both mediums and think all artists should take a serious try at watercolor or abstract painting to help explore themselves. Of course this is my opinion.
WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE ME MOST?:
More people buy and sell oils while few artists have been able to master the skills of watercolor. When I stumble upon an artist who has mastered them both I am in awe! Seago, Chamberlain, Sargent, and few other great masters did and as a result they have created many great works of art.
WHAT IS MY PROCESS?:
I see beautiful moments where others merely see. I actually do not see well at all. After a lifetime of worsening myopia I decided to have Lasik vision correction. Unfortunately, after two failed surgeries, I have been left with polyopsia, which is also known as multiple vision. Oddly enough, I started painting after Lasik. I don't know if my vision change actually prompted me to start painting, but I do know that this "strange vision” gave me the inspiration to document what I was seeing and make sense of it via my own interpretation. Sadly, I have lost my vision at nighttime with contrast losing all its values. Lights cast eerie duplicates and halos - it's Christmas time all year for me! The dangers of driving run to the extent of having to trust that the oncoming headlights may not be in my lane. I have subsequently had to give up driving once the sun goes down. If you love what you see then don't get Lasik. If you see but "don't see" then go for it. Oddly, with the sadness of vision loss comes the wonder of really seeing!
Despite my vision problems I read as much as my eyes will allow and also study the work of many different types of artists. I attend workshops with artists that truly inspire me and enjoy the company of other artists looking to learn new things. I paint en plein air around my hometown and am happy with such an abundance of unspoiled wooded landscapes in a watershed area just 45 minutes from midtown Manhattan. It is here in northern New Jersey where I best enjoy painting… along the forgotten New York state border where you're "neither here nor there” being stuck in a warp of surrounding oddities with endless roads, bears that stop by to smell your oils, and hawks circling overhead for their next kill. These are not dangerous New York City streets, but deep woods where no one can even find you and one can find peace and solace.
More about the Artist
Irish-American artist, Theresa M Quirk of West Milford, NJ, was born in 1955, Connecticut. The artist currently lives in Northern New Jersey with her Argentinean husband and enjoys painting landscapes from around the world. She has established herself as a recognized emerging artist, displaying skill and versatility in both oil and watercolor. She enjoyed art as a child with her father, who initially inspired her, and enrolled her at Famous Artists School founded by Albert Dorne and Norman Rockwell. Shortly after, her dad was killed and the artist was forced at only 13 to grow up quick the hard way when the family fell apart. She did regain painting in 2000, after 9/11 when a change in lifestyle, and a break from business unleashed her alternate ego.
She attended college at Jersey City State College and studied design and business. After jumping from working with the Airlines in the 80's to a stockbroker she started a small publishing company and in the early 90's she launched QuirkWorks breaking ground as a pioneer on the web designing corporate web sites which she still does today. She is best known for this and has been published as a leader in this media.
She continues to study with other artists and travels often providing her much opportunity to explore landscapes and scenes that have become the subjects of her work. Her Irish scenes are her favorites and much inspiration is found in the Irish countryside.
As a watercolorist, my work is about layers of transparency, illusion, light and a bit of reality moving from reality to abstract to reality. I work in layer after layer, viewing the actual piece brings you a clear understanding of just how layers of different colors can play with your eye. I employ spontaneous and loose flowing brushwork suggesting the freedom only a watercolor can provide.
As ao oil painter, I enjoy the freshness of color and looseness. I work in a limited palette of Cad Red Light, Cad Yellow Light and Ultramarine. Most of work is done plein air but resort to the studio in the winter.
Exhibitions:
12/07 - Copper Tree Mall
3/07 - St Catherines Art Show
3/06 - St Catherines Art Show
5/04 - * Wayne Art Association
6/04 - Ringwood Art Association
6/04 - West Milford Art Association
10/04 - * Meadowlands Environmental Center, Lyndhurst NJ
10/04 - Ringwood Manor Art Assoc Barn Gallery
10/04 - Lambert Castle, WAA
Fundraisers / Commercial Use:
Nov 06 - The Charter High School for Architecture + Design, Phila, Pa
Jan 06 - Liberty Health for Meadowlands Hospital Fund
Nov 05 - Women's Guild of the Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL
May 05 - Van Riper House Museum, Wayne NJ
Oct 04 - The Charter High School for Architecture + Design, Phila, Pa
Studied with:
Edwin Broussard
Mel Stabin, AWS, NWS, TWSA
John Salminen, AWS, NWS, D.F.
David Curtis
Don Andrews, AWS
Kenn Backhaus
James Coe
Ned Muller
Gabor Svagrik
Kim English
Memberships:
Lyme Art Association, CT
Early Education:
Famous Artists School
Affilated:
Higlands Art Union, President
Highlands Art Union provides networking connections for fine artists seeking travel, sharing, studio swapping and painting opportunities in the US, UK, Scotland and Ireland. The artists are predominantly plein air landscape painters and are accepted by invitation only.
QuirkWorks, Owner
Corporate web design, marketing and maintenance.
Articles
"Irish Watercolors Attract Artist"
Special to The Irish American Post
"Chasing the nouveau riche"
by Allan Hoffman FOR THE STAR-LEDGER
"North Jersey baby boomers recapturing childhood bliss"
BY VIRGINIA ROHAN, The Record
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See Works by
Edward Seago
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