Nw Profiles - American artist

PAINTING IS ALMOST A FORM OF MEDITATION FOR ME. NO MATTER WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY LIFE - AND OF COURSE WE ALL HAVE UPS AND DOWNS - AND IN THOSE PERIODS OF TIME WHERE I'VE HAD THE GREATEST DOWNS, IF I GO IN AND SIT DOWN AND WORK ON A PAINTING, THE WHOLE WORLD FLIE S AWAY AND IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING. ARTIST TERRI AUSTIN-BEECH BELIEVES IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS. FOR 20 YEARS, TERRI ENJOYED HER PROFESSION AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BUT WHEN HER HUSBANDS WORK RELOCATED THEM TO CANADA IN 1989; IT OPENED THE DOOR TO TERRI'S LIFELONG DREAM OF BEING A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST. SHE BEGAN TAKING ART CLASSES AND SOON DEVELOPED HER OWN DISTINCTIVE PAINTING STYLE WITH WATERCOLORS. WATERCOLOR WORKS FOR ME BECAUSE IT IS TOTALLY FLUID AND BEING THAT IT'S SUCH A FLUID MEDIUM THERE'S ALWAYS THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE, AND I'M A GO-WITH-THE-FLOW KIND OF PERSON. WE'VE HAD A VERY CHANGEABLE LIFESTYLE BECAUSE, MY HUSBAND, BEING AN OIL ENGINEER, WE'VE HAD LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE A GREAT DEAL. AND I'VE LEARNED TO JUST KIND OF GO WITH THE FLOW, AND WHAT I LIKE ABOUT WATERCOLOR IS THAT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO. I LIKE THE TEXTURES THAT YOU GET WHEN YOU LET WATER DO ITS OWN THING. MY FAMILY FELT THAT ART WAS STRICTLY A RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY, SO WE WERE HIGHLY DISCOURAGED FROM PURSUING IT AS ANY SORT OF SERIOUS CAREER OPTION AND ENCOURAGED TO USE ART AS A RELAXATION METHOD OR TO ENJOY IT IN A MUSEUM OR A GALLERY, BUT FOR PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT IT WAS DISCOURAGED. SO WHEN WE MOVED UP TO CALGARY, I WAS ABOUT 40 AT THE TIME AND MY IMPORTANT FAMILY MEMBERS HAD PASSED ON AND WERE NO LONGER A STRONG INFLUENCE, I STARTED TAKING ART CLASSES AS A MEANS OF ENTERTAINING MYSELF AND IT REAWAKENED THAT OLD DESIRE TO BE AN ARTIST BECAUSE I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PAINTER. SINCE 1997, TERRI HAS EXHIBITED HER PAINTINGS IN OVER 50 REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITIONS, WINNING MANY AWARDS. A HIGHLIGHT OF HER PAINTING CAREER CAME IN 2004 AT THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION ON ANIMALS AND ART. THERE HER PAINTING "WILD HORSES" WON A PUBLISHING AWARD AND WOULD GRACE THE COVER OF THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. IT WAS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE MY IMAGE ON A NATIONAL PUBLICATION. I'VE ALWAYS HAD A GREEN THUMB. SO, SINCE I WAS ABOUT FIVE AND I PLANTED MY FIRST POPCORN KERNEL AND HAD CORN GROWING, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN GARDENING ONE WAY OR ANOTHER AND I LIKE THE SERENITY I HAVE IN A GARDEN AND I ALSO LIKE THE COLORS THAT NATURE PRESENTS TO ME. IT GIVES ME IDEAS FOR COLOR COMBINATIONS THAT I CAN PURSUE. TERRI'S FONDNESS FOR FLOWERS AND LOVE OF ANIMALS IS EVIDENT IN HER ARTWORK. HER PASSION FOR PETS, ESPECIALLY DOGS, GOES BEYOND THE CANVAS AND INTO THE COMPETITIVE WORLD OF DOG AGILITY. I GOT INVOLVED IN DOG AGILITY BECAUSE IT'S A FUN THING. ITS FUN FOR YOU, ITS FUN FOR THE DOGS AND IT'S A VERY POSITIVE ACTIVITY THAT YOU CAN BOTH BE INVOLVED IN AND I HAVE FUR KIDS AND NOT REAL CHILDREN, SO WITH MY FUR KIDS, INSTEAD OF GOING TO SOCCER MATCHES WE GO TO AGILITY MATCHES. IT KEEPS MY BRAIN ACTIVE, IT KEEPS ME PHYSICALLY ACTIVE, AND IT GIVES ME SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY LITTLE FUR GUYS. TODAY, TERRI CONTINUES TO PAINT AND TEACH ART CLASSES FROM HER HOME IN CALGARY. HER WATERCOLORS WITH THEIR ARTISTIC USE OF EDGES AND SHADOW SHAPES ARE VIVID PROOF THAT DREAMS CAN COME TRUE REGARDLESS OF AGE. I HATE TO SAY THAT I'M A SENIOR THESE DAYS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES START LIMITING THEMSELVES JUST BECAUSE OF THE ENERGY THAT YOU HAVE. I GUESS I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO PAINT SO, RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO SORT OF FOLLOW MYSELF FOR A WHILE LONGER AND PAINT THERE'S ALWAYS EXPLORATIONS THAT YOU WANT TO DO. THERE'S ALWAYS A NEW QUESTION; WHAT IF I USED THIS EDGE INSTEAD OF THAT EDGE, WHAT IF I USED THIS NEW COLOR INSTEAD OF THAT COLOR. I CAN PROBABLY KEEP MYSELF ENTERTAINED FOR SEVERAL YEARS JUST ANSWERING MY OWN QUESTIONS SO, I'LL BE VERY HAPPY I THINK JUST LOOKING DOWN ON THE GARDEN FROM MY STUDIO AND EXPLORING WATERCOLORS.