Justin Terlecki - Painter/Printmaker

"Balcony" acrylic on canvas  27" x 31"

Justin Terlecki

Name: Justin Terlecki
City/State: St. Paul, MN
Email: justinterlecki@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.grovelandgallery.com/artistdetail.php?aID=TerJ
MNartist.org profile: http: // MNartists.org/Terlecki

Facebook page: http: //facebook.com/justin.terlecki

Bio~ 

I studied painting and printmaking at Youngstown State University, located in Northeast Ohio, and completed my BFA in 1997.  Since 1998, I have been living in the Twin Cities. 

My home and studio space is in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul.  I also work at Wet Paint art supply store on Grand Avenue.

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

I work mainly from personal experiences and memory. Using these experiences as inspiration, I create detailed narratives. I am intrigued by how our thought process and time alters our memories. During the past five years, travel has also played an important role in my work. In 2010, I created a series of prints, inspired by recent travels to India and Spain. This work was funded by the Jerome Fellowship for Emerging Printmakers through Highpoint Center for Printmaking.  In my paintings and prints, I strive to portray the subtle nuances of communication, human relationships, and connection. Currently, I am focused on childhood memories and the concept of loss. 

"Lake Erie" acrylic on canvas 33"x42"

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?

Art is an expression of existence. What it delivers to the viewer is an opportunity to view their own world in a new, unique way. Art, whether it be film, dance, or visual, provides an escape from daily life. In my own work, I really enjoy individual interpretations. Personally, I don't feel it necessary for the viewer to understand my intentions for creating a specific piece.  My only goal is to create work that engages and connects with the viewer. I love the process of painting and creating and to share my energy with the viewer is very satisfying. 

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

I think the best advice is that you need to work hard. An art professor of mine once told me that if you work long enough, eventually people will pay attention. 

"Cathedral of Seville, Corpus Christi"  lithography & screenprint  28" x 33" 

Tell me about your work space and your creative process.

I live in an artists' cooperative in St. Paul. The benefit of this is that the spaces are large enough to have a painting studio. My painting studio is actually in my bedroom. My easel is always set up, as well as my paints and drawing supplies. Before I begin a piece, I usually do preliminary sketches to lay out the composition. I always have the idea first before starting a work, and never approach the canvas blindly. The excitement is the process and the problem solving along the way.  The goal is to unify the piece and there are always surprises and difficulties.  I think the challenges of creating, and the intense focus during the process is what keeps me going. 

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

Eleanor McGough http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=96594

Carolyn Swiszcz   http://www.carolynswiszcz.com/

Rod Massey  http://www.rodmassey.com/index.html

James Boyd Brent  http://www.jamesboydbrent.com/?page_id=22

Barbara Kreft   http://www.circagallery.org/html/kreft_barbara_1.html

Gregory Graham   http://gregorygrahamart.com/gregorygrahamart.com/Home.html

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

Highpoint Center for Printmaking  http://www.highpointprintmaking.org/home/

Minneapolis Institute of the Arts   http://www.artsmia.org/

Walker Art Center   http://www.walkerart.org/

Groveland Gallery   http://www.grovelandgallery.com/

The Museum of Russian Art  http://tmora.org/

"101810 Lake Erie" watercolor  18" x 24"

Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

Mnartists.org    http://www.mnartists.org/home.do

Local Artists Interviews   http://www.local-artist-interviews.com/

Art Hounds  http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/art-hounds/

Art 21   http://www.pbs.org/art21/

Res Artis    http://www.resartis.org/en/

"Biking in the Rain, S.C." acrylic on canvas  32" x 34"

What can we expect to see from you in the future?
Currently, I am in a group show entitled "New Year, New Artists" at Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis. This show, featuring four new paintings, runs until February 25th, 2012.

Groveland Gallery

I am also working on book illustrations for "The Book of Bartholomew" by Mark Granlund and in March, I  will also be hosting a demonstration on creating Pysanky, traditional Ukrainian Easter Egg dyeing. This event is open to the public and will be held  at Wet Paint art supply store.  

Carolyn Swiszcz - Painting - Printmaking

Hallway, 28 X 19, 2011

Carolyn Swiszcz

Name: Carolyn Swiszcz

City/State: West St. Paul, MN

Email: carolynjs@comcast.net

Website: carolynswiszcz.com

MNartist.org profile: Carolyn Swiszcz

Facebook page: (Optional)

Bio~ 

I was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts and moved to Minnesota to attend the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. I studied printmaking and illustration there and earned a BFA in 1994. In the late 90’s I had a fellowship in Miami Beach from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. I’ve shown with Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects in New York for almost ten years. 


My work has also been exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Highpoint Center for Printmaking, the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC. I’ve received grants from the Jerome, Bush, and McKnight Foundations and the Minnesota State Arts Board. I’ve lived in West St. Paul for a decade. 

Food Court, Santa Fe, 48 X 73

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

I am attracted to subjects with patterns and text, especially as they appear in architecture. I'm a painter but I am not interested in making "painterly paintings"  - I work in a flat, graphic manner inspired by printmaking. My subjects, and the ways I work through them, are chosen somewhat intuitively. I would describe the feeling in most of my works as a pleasant kind of dread.

I'm currently expanding my architectural subjects to include interiors and people, with a more personal bent. I hope to tweak my work a bit so I am able to draw from a broader range of ideas and experiences.

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?

I hope that my work motivates other people to paint and write.

Shidoni Sculpture Park, Tesque, NM 36 X 73, 2011

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

The best advice on creativity I heard was from a friend’s child who was struggling to work with some clay. After some initial frustration he kept at it, eventually becoming happy with his creation. He told his friend his secret: “you have to not care.” I find I have to alternate between a playful kind of not caring and then some serious thought - caring very much. This kind of works on a personal level as well.

Tell me about your work space and your creative process.

I begin by taking photos and making thumbnail sketches. I don't do many studies before I start a work - I have a vision of what I want in my head. I usually begin with techniques that leave a lot to chance such as monotype and rubber stamp. The rest of the time I'm sort of corralling the chaotic aspects of the work into something more coherent. Often things have to get wrecked or started again if they aren't working. The last third of a painting is the hardest for me to finish. It is a long process of either determining exactly what small thing is needed, or coming to terms with the fact that the work might be done the way it is.

Much of my process involves putting work away for long periods. I often feel as if the only chance I have to see one of my paintings painting clearly is within the first second or two of looking at it. I work at home in a small, somewhat inadequate studio space. However, its proximity allows me to steal moments during the day to paint and look while I care for our small child. I distract her and then I run up to the studio for a minute to check in with something in progress hoping I will be able to diagnose its flaws. 

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy? 

Bridget Beck

http://www.mnartists.org/work.do?rid=220834

Bruce Tapola

http://www.mnartists.org/article.do?rid=173002

Wyatt McDill

http://www.mnartists.org/work.do?action=list&rid=58733

Melba Price

http://www.midwayart.org/exhibitions/09_01_melba_price/

David Lefkowitz

http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=12525

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

MAEP Gallery at the MIA, Franconia Sculpture Park, the Walker Art Center. I don't get out as often as I want to but I’m trying to change that. 

 Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, Austin TX 48 X 73, 2011

Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise? 

New American Paintings Blog. It's not just about the artists who appear in the publication. There's lots of good interviews and videos.

http://newamericanpaintings.wordpress.com/

Whitney Lobby #1 36 X 48, 2011

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?

I have some work from 2005/2006 (this is the first time it's being shown in Minnesota) up at Bethel College. I am giving a lecture on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 5 PM. 

http://www.bethel.edu/galleries/

I have a show in New York at Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects through November. http://miyakoyoshinaga.com/

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I just bought a press - some new work on paper? A book? Another video? I am not sure. I have to clean my studio first.