Hi and welcome to the "About the Artist" bit.
My name is Terry (Teresa) Jackson, I was born in 1958 and I (usually... explanation further down) live in beautiful Adelaide in South Australia with my partner Dave.
I am a fabulous mum, pretty decent cook, a not-too-bad gardener and practicing procrastinator. I am a hug-a-tree-save-the-whales-and-don't-waste-water kind of person and have been told I would have made a great hippy. Nowadays I am an artist but this wasn't always so.
Now, I could say that being an artist has been my lifelong passion, that I was drawn (pardon the pun) to portraying animals by some mysterious or overwhelming force. I could say that I am an art school graduate with years and years of fine art experience behind me....yes I could say all of that but I won't because none of that is true...this is....
Art had always been an interest of mine. I could wander an art gallery for hours, read books on art and I even dabbled a little in my younger days, producing one or two very average paintings and a crude but interesting sculpture of a fist that was pounded out of a piece of sandstone. I enjoyed doing arts and crafts and making things with my 3 kids. I helped out doing arty things at the local primary school and decorated the sets and programmes for the Spalding Drama Group (I was a bit of an amateur thespian and singer and this was a very small town (around 250 people)...we all chipped in) but that was pretty much as far as it went.
As years passed, my children grew into wonderful adults, I got divorced in 2000 and life went on. I did a counselling course, travelled overseas, met some terrifically interesting people and had a great time but I still wasn't an artist and had no thoughts of becoming one. In fact I had fully qualified as a counsellor in that time and I thought that was to be my life's focus but no... it wasn't to be!'
I eventually moved from the small town life I had known for more than 18 years to the big smoke to be with my new partner Dave. Another degree of change. Then one decision made in early 2005 added several more compass points of change to my existence. That decision? To draw a triple portrait in graphite of my sister Barbara for her 40th birthday (as a baby, aged about 8 and a sneaky photo taken a couple of days before her 40th). It turned out better than I had hoped and it made her cry with happiness. :)
Well, that was the beginning. Others saw the portrait and suddenly I had people asking me to do portraits for them. I had done several portraits for family and friends before another direction changer came along....a Christmas holiday visit by Dave's brother and his family from the UK. They gave us a Christmas gift, a limited edition print of a lion in graphite by UK artist Gary Hodges. I loved it. I had not told them about the portraits I had been doing yet they gave me this present. Fate had turned the compass yet again when I decided to draw a tiger....just to see if I could. It was rough, it was crude but I loved drawing it. From then I was hooked. Wild animals were fun. With each picture I spent more time honing my latent skills and realising that I really could do this.
Now I love the challenge of producing a beautiful, realistic piece of art. I love the illusion of colour in the myriad shades of grey that graphite produces. In fact, I enjoy everything about the art. I hope you enjoy it too. :)
I also occasionally use pastels and coloured pencils because some pictures just scream out for colour (or is that just in my head??). I am enjoying them very much but will continue using good old humble graphites as well
Between early 2012 and late 2018, Dave and I lived on a boat, a 38 Cabo Rico monohull named Venture, and puddled up and down the east coast of Australia and circumnavigated Tasmania, so my studio was quite small and moved about a bit, thus making drawing a little difficult at times, but just as interesting.
Towards the end of this time, however, my world was turned upside down when my beautiful sister and best friend in the whole world passed away very suddenly in April of 2018. Another unexpected turn of the compass.
So there is the story so far which has lead to my life-as-an-artist. It has been an interesting journey to here but the compass never stops turning. I will wait and see where it points next and I invite you to keep watching and travel with me. :)
All the very best ....................... Terry
Before I leave, there are a few people I really have to thank:
The first and biggest thanks go to my Mum Vi and Dad Ken, who were the most wonderful, loving and giving parents. They encouraged, loved and supported me throughout my life, through every up and down, through all the good times and bad. I've missed them every day since they passed away (Dad on July 28th, 2010... Mum on August 23rd 2011) and I hope I can still make them proud. I love you both.
Also my incredible, funny, crazy little sister Barbara, who suffered much in her life but was the happiest, most beautiful person I ever knew despite the pain that life had put her through. If it wasn't for her turning 40, I wouldn't be where I am now. She was my muse, my comedy relief, my best friend and my sister and I couldn't have asked for more. She is loved missed every single day.
My absolutely awesome children, Jason, Sarah and Daniel for sometimes thinking I am cool and for making me look good by becoming fantastic adults. I couldn't be more proud of you or love you more and now my beautiful grandchildren Isabell and Jayden (to Jason and Jennifer), Reilley and Ahlia (to Sarah and David) and Peter (to Daniel and Georgie). You are my sunshine every single day. Also my gorgeous stepdaughters and their fantastic partners, Jessie and Lauren (and our youngest but by no means least member of the family, granddaughter Michaela) and Petra and husband Chris... you've made being a stepmum fun.
And last but never least....my amazing partner Dave. So patient, so encouraging, kind, loving and generous. A computer guru, thank you for putting up with all the grief I have given you over the website, for encouraging and supporting not only me but my art. You make me laugh and I love you for it.