My Life & Artwork - April 2021

May 5, 2021 Teressa Jackson

Me with Network at the Shemer Art Center exhibition — Me with *Network* at the Shemer Art Center exhibition

April was a great month for opportunities to exhibit!

My painting Network was juried into the Arizona Watercolor Association’s spring exhibition at the Shemer Art Center in Phoenix, which opened on April 13 and runs through May 20. The opening reception on April 15 was very busy, and there are many great water media paintings of all styles included in the show. Definitely worth a visit!

I got out my brushes and returned to the muse of my neighborhood’s Little Free Libraries, this time incorporating some of the equally muse-worthy lovebirds that dart about through the trees on my street. What better name could I choose but Love Story? This piece, along with two others, was juried into Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s exhibition Mujeres, Mujeres, Mujeres, which features art by women from around the globe. Raices Taller is located in Tucson, but in keeping with COVID-19 precautions the exhibition is entirely virtual and can be viewed on their website.

My painting Transmission, which I completed in February, was accepted to exhibit at Portland on the Park residences in Phoenix through late-August. This is a very interesting concept in which the residents of the development help select artwork for display and also contribute to a fund that is used to purchase some of the pieces for a permanent collection at the site. You can read more about this program at artlinkphx.org/inresidence.

Me with two of my paintings at Rachel Walters’ shop

I also delivered a few of my pieces to Tucson to hang at Rachel Walters Collection’s amazing new shop. Rachel creates gorgeous, handcrafted fashions that can be purchased at her shop or via her website. I’m so grateful to have met her and to be able to inhabit a part of her beautifully curated space. Her shop features some wonderful treasures by other local creatives as well. It’s fun to have a reason to go to Tucson more frequently; I definitely miss living in the Old Pueblo!

Aside from more weekend fun rockhounding in the desert, the big adventure highlight of the month was the opportunity to visit Bryce Canyon National Park, Horseshoe Bend, and Sedona with my dear friend Jenny and her sister Kat. It was around my fifth visit to Bryce Canyon, a place that is truly jaw-dropping and a definite contender for “best national park” in my book. Lots of good times were had with these two fun and adventurous ladies, and I look forward to the next time we get to explore together.

Finally, I finished the month with a visit to Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona, with my friend Kalisha. It was a fantastic time to visit, with many of the cacti blooming and the temperatures still hospitable. We visited on Kentucky Oaks Day, and even managed to find an equine photo opportunity in the gardens in commemoration of the fillies’ big day back home in Louisville.

I completed two commissioned canine portraits in April. I was hired by a friend’s husband to create these pieces and it was a great deal of fun to bring them to life. He gave them to her as a birthday gift (per her suggestion) and she seemed absolutely thrilled with the end result. I really enjoy creating such meaningful gifts, thinking of how they will be treasured and enjoyed. It’s truly an honor!

I created four total paintings in April. Two of these pieces were the commissioned dog portraits, one was Love Story, and the fourth I titled Palo Verde Parade. Palo Verde Parade is a tribute to Arizona’s state tree which is totally doing its big burst of yellow blooming thing right now. It’s a gorgeous if slightly allergy-inducing sight and I couldn’t resist celebrating them.

Palo Verde Parade is still available for purchase via my website and Love Story is available through Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop. Don’t hesitate to contact me if I can work on a commission for you or if you need help with framing one of the pieces you see available for sale!

Me and Kalisha with the horse (statue) we found!

Gryffin's Gaze 11x14”, Watercolor on Aquabord SOLD (commission). — *Gryffin's Gaze*
11x14”, Watercolor on Aquabord
SOLD (commission).

Super Scout 11x14”, Watercolor on Aquabord SOLD (commission). — *Super Scout*
11x14”, Watercolor on Aquabord
SOLD (commission).

Love Story 11x14”, Gouache on Aquabord For sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop as of this blog post. — *Love Story*
11x14”, Gouache on Aquabord
For sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop as of this blog post.

Palo Verde Parade 8x10”, Gouache on Aqua Coldpress Black Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Palo Verde Parade*
8x10”, Gouache on Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

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My Life & Artwork - December 2018

January 21, 2019 Teressa Jackson

Me at the reception for “Tesoros Pequeños”

I opened the month of December by attending the reception of “Tesoros Pequeños,” an art show I was accepted into at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery in Tucson. Because the theme was small and precious works of art, I made some “icons” featuring desert rarities, complete with copper halos. I wasn’t completely sure how successfully I thought that they turned out, but it was an attempt at something different, which I need to push myself to do more often. I ended up selling one of the pieces and I hope its new owner loves it - it was definitely my favorite of the three. The other two are now up for sale in my online shop.

I changed up my style and technique for some other pieces I created in December, too (specifically, “Sunset over Sombrero Peak” and “Sibling Rivalry”). I feel like I’m in a bit of a “searching” stage, trying to figure out what direction I would like my art to go next. I have a tendency to default to realism, and need to push myself to explore other approaches. I also feel I want to explore some different subject matter and color schemes.

My nephew posing on Christmas morning with the portrait of him I painted

Towards the end of the month, we had a holiday potluck for my art class. Larry Wollam, my drawing and painting instructor throughout 2018, hosts this event annually. It was a lot of fun to see people from my drawing class who I hadn’t seen since transitioning to Larry’s painting class. I’m missing Larry already as our classes are currently on hiatus until approximately March due to an impending surgery he was facing. I hope all goes well and he is on the mend quickly. He certainly taught me so much in 2018 and was a big part of making the year a success for me artistically. What luck that the classes were right around the corner from where we live.

I created some commissioned pieces for the holidays for my friend Heather, and I also created some pieces to give to my family for Christmas. These types of projects are especially difficult because of the expectations that come along with them, but they are also a good opportunity to challenge myself and be a part of someone’s special moment. I hope everyone loves their creations for years to come.

I also did some hiking in December, enjoying the beautiful, mostly mid-60’s weather in Tucson. This is definitely the time of year to live in the desert. I hiked the Finger Rock Trail on Christmas Day. It was a gorgeous way to spend the holiday and made me feel less lonely since Aaron ended up having to go to Mexicali for work. A couple of days later, I spent some time hiking along the international border at Ramsey Canyon Preserve and Coronado National Memorial with my new friend Ursula, who is also an artist and nature lover.

My friend Kalisha came down to visit from Tempe for New Year’s Eve, and we had a wonderful time catching up while painting pottery. Our pieces both turned out really fun, and it was so nice to see her. It had been far too long.

I’m looking forward to seeing where 2019 takes me and my art. As gorgeous as it is here, I’m definitely itching for some different scenery to help inspire and expand my artistic horizons. Happy New Year to you, wherever you are and whatever it holds for you. Make it great!

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“Sunset over Sombrero Peak” For sale as of this blog posting 5x7” — “Sunset over Sombrero Peak”
For sale as of this blog posting
5x7”

“Painted Desert²” On exhibit at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery until February 23, 2019 14x11” — “Painted Desert²”
On exhibit at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery until February 23, 2019
14x11”

“The Source 1” Gifted to my mother 10x8” — “The Source 1”
Gifted to my mother
10x8”

“The Source 2” Gifted to my sister’s family 10x8” — “The Source 2”
Gifted to my sister’s family
10x8”

“Sibling Rivalry” For sale as of this blog posting 5x7” — “Sibling Rivalry”
For sale as of this blog posting
5x7”

“Baby Blue” SOLD (commission) 5x7” — “Baby Blue”
SOLD (commission)
5x7”

“Warm Fuzzies” SOLD (commission) 5x7” — “Warm Fuzzies”
SOLD (commission)
5x7”

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Punta Gorda Town

July 30, 2017 Teressa Jackson

In my last blog, Aaron and I had just arrived in the sleepy town of Punta Gorda (a.k.a. "PG"). PG didn't get much more exciting, with the exception of the enthusiastic storms that felt like they might carry us away to Oz each night.

My main takes on PG were that people were generally really friendly, often intoxicated, and seemed to want to give us things.

Our first experience with the generosity of locals was at the market. Gomier, a super nice guy and owner of a PG vegetarian and vegan restaurant, began talking to us about some of the produce. During the exchange, one of the vendors gave us some fruit to try. It wasn't my favorite, but Gomier was certainly a nice guy and I appreciated his hospitality.

It didn't matter if it was 10 a.m. or 7 p.m., it wasn't uncommon to encounter people who had clearly been sipping (chugging?) some rum or a few Belikin beers. One afternoon, we encountered a man who told us he went by "Taz," "The Devil," or the "Tasmanian Devil." Taz was enjoying some beers, and wanted to buy us some, too. We politely declined, but listened to him talk about his escapades around Belize and the U.S. for around the next 30-45 minutes. He apparently really liked us, because he pledged to protect us from harm from anyone around town. While nice, this was an unnecessary gesture, as we've yet to have an unkind word uttered to us by anyone in all of Belize.

We finally agreed to let Taz buy us a seaweed drink from the guy on the corner. I was a little leery, but the thick off-white concoction was actually pretty good. It was slightly sweet and tasted of nutmeg. He and his friend were adamant that it "cools the body" and that it's "good for you, it's from the sea!" True or not, I'd sip one again.

A man who told us that his name was "Bug" stumbled along beside us one day, asking where we were from and about our travels in Belize. He was insistent upon giving us some conch shells, and we gratefully accepted his gesture of hospitality.

We also renewed our tourist visa while in PG. They had an immigration office there, and as our first month in Belize was coming to a close, we were due to take care of this bit of bureaucracy. If you are in the country for an extended period of time, you must get your passport stamped every 30 days and pay a $25US fee. It was hard to believe that almost a month had already passed since we descended upon this tiny Central American country.

While the residents were kind, our time in PG had two big strikes against it. Although the town is bordered by the Caribbean Sea, there isn't a bit of real beach to speak of, and we really missed the option to enjoy a cool dip in the water. Secondly, the apartment we rented was miserably hot and humid. We rented an air conditioning unit, but it generally only made about a two degree difference, and it was almost impossible to sleep or motivate ourselves to do much of anything because of it. Yes, I suppose we are a little spoiled.

Unable to take the heat any longer, we decided to cut our time in PG short and booked a flight to San Pedro. I'm still glad that we got to experience Belize's southernmost town and its hospitable people, though.

Just outside of PG, shortly after takeoff

Please Don’t Get Me a Colander for Christmas

December 17, 2016 Teressa Jackson

It’s the season of giving.

Speaking from experience, the best gift you can give yourself is the realization that you have everything you physically need. I know it may not feel like it at times, but I’m willing to bet that nearly everyone reading this post fits this description.

Over the past several months, I pared my belongings down to what would fit in four plastic totes from Target and my Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV. To many of you, this may sound like a sparse existence. I can tell you that it’s not. I actually still feel like I have too much, and have visited Goodwill a few more times to make a deposit since my departure on October 22.

Have I had to get creative at times? Absolutely. A little ingenuity goes a long way in helping you realize that many “necessities” are even superfluous. For example, my current abode is not stocked with a colander. Should I purchase one? It’s only $10 or so, but what then? Do I take it with me? Do I leave it when I depart? How much do I use a colander anyway?

Lightbulb: I could just hold the lid of the pot slightly ajar while I drain it. I’m so smart, right? :-)

I like that I have to really think about what I acquire. This is important in ensuring ease of travel, but also to my budget. No, I do not have all the money I will ever need, but if I am wise, it will last me a while. If I work, it will last me longer and I can still pay on those darn student loans. Life is much simpler than we like to make it sometimes.

Sure, I don’t have children. I will absolutely own that my perspective would have to be slightly different if I did, and I'm clueless about all the aspects of what that entails. I know that security is important, but more than anything, I think children especially just want your time and your love. I don’t remember what I received for nearly any Christmas growing up. I know they were happy times, and that I usually was presented with what I had wanted most. What I do remember are visits to Ohio with my mom and sister, my grandmother’s warm hugs and sweet laughter, getting freezing cold and wet playing in the snow and then drinking hot chocolate with cinnamon sticks, baking cookies, and making loads of delicious mashed potatoes to enjoy at our Christmas feast. Those “things” weren’t remotely expensive, and they didn’t take up room in my home or closet.

I also realize that what we need is not just physical, but also emotional. This is obviously a more complicated equation than the acquisition or de-acquisition of stuff. What this means to each person is different, and I can only speak for myself when I say that not needing “things” has brought me opportunities for harmony and fulfillment in both realms.

In closing, I’m sending out wishes of peace to my friends, family, people I’ve met on my travels, and citizens of the world this holiday season. Savor some cocoa with a cinnamon stick or dive into a pile of mashed potatoes, and think of this crazy lady who lives out of her car. I love you all. xoxoxoxoxo

Side notes:
I’m very thankful to have work to do during this time of transience that helps to sustain me. It’s been lovely to have time to paint, and the interest of others in acquiring my artwork warms my heart. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to do some work to assist the amazing and empowered ladies of Sisters of St. Benedict in their efforts to continue to impact our world as they have for generations. If you are considering making a charitable gift during this holiday season, I encourage you to learn about them. Of course, you can also continue to support my all-time favorite world’s awesomest non-profit organization, Rauch, Inc., too.

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