April Artist of the Month - Terry Coffey

Influences:
My calligraphic work, begun four decades ago, predates my working in watercolor, oil, and acrylic. Over time my painting has been influenced by the graceful lines of calligraphy which in turn has been influenced by the vibrancy of watercolors, oils and acrylics. The dramatic flow of calligraphy within the discipline and grace of the letterform literally permeates my thinking when applying a brush stroke, creating a composition, or experimenting with new materials as I have done most recently with textured acrylics.
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Process: 
When I sit down to work at a drafting table or stand at an easel, the process begins. The planning, the warm up, the mixing of colors (my favorite part) is a standard routine. When I get stuck, when inspiration fails, I try to remember that so much of art is simply “showing up.” Frida Kahlo said, and this I believe, “The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to.”