Terrain

I was very fortunate to have a wonderful painting instructor at the MFAH Glassell School of Art in Houston for a number of years beginning in the late 1990s. Terrell James, a well-known Texas contemporary artist, encouraged us to engage broadly with our work. Sometimes she would walk by and make a mark with red paint on my canvas, prompting me to make reactive marks and dive deeper into the process, thinking about it in less precious terms. She also emphasized the importance of experiencing art in person, a practice that has profoundly influenced my artistic journey and my appreciation for contemporary art. Engaging with art face-to-face allows for a more meaningful connection and understanding, a practice that continues to enrich my process thirty years later. I still enjoy the simple pleasure of working with oil paint—albeit on smaller surfaces now as I navigate tighter spaces—but I always appreciate the rich, buttery quality of oil pigments and mediums.