We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sally Terrell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sally below.

Hi Sally, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

The answer to the first question is twofold. Working in scratchboard started during my last year of teaching. Once I retired, I was able to pursue it in earnest. I was juried into the International Society of Scratchboard Artists and I started working on pieces to submit to their annual exhibition. In the following years, I succeeded in achieving Signature level status. In the medium of felt art, I started years ago after meeting a felt artist in Connemara, who showed me the basic steps in the process of felting. I practiced a lot, and after getting into a gallery, was able to start selling my pieces.
I don’t think there’s any way I could’ve speeded it up actually. Because both mediums require lots of practice and you can’t really cut corners when it comes to that.
As far as skills go, I’ve always had an I for color palettes and composition, but I think the most important thing is patience.
Once I retired from teaching, I can’t really think of many obstacles that have come up, other than money, which would allow me to travel more and take inspiring photographs to use for references.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I was in my early 50s, my husband gave me a little acrylic painting kit and said “you’ve always wanted to try this. Just do it, and have fun “. So shortly after we moved to North Carolina from Florida, I got it out and started playing around. Eventually, this playing around led me to get into a gallery, and I actually started selling my work. That was a very exciting time for me. I have since then tried many media, but eventually landed on scratchboard. A friend of mine found a master scratchboard artist over at the coast who is willing to give us a one day workshop. It was life-changing for me. Her name is Ginger Gehres. She is that was extremely talented, generous, and all around amazing human. She mentored me my first year of doing scratchboard. I got juried into the international Society of scratchboard artist, and created a piece that was juried in to their annual exhibition that same year. I have since had a piece in every exhibition since then, and thanks to her and the mentorship of Linda Heath Clark, another Master Scratchboarder, I have achieved Signature level. I am very proud of that, but also very grateful for their guidance. The other thing, I am also very proud of is one of my scratchboard pieces, “I Am the Monarch of the Tree”, made it into the best of drawing competition in Artist Magazine. That was a very exciting moment for me! I also create felt ‘paintings’, which started years ago when I met a felt artist in Ireland. She inspired me to go back home and try it and I’ve been doing it on and off since then. Recently, I was awarded a grant by the state of North Carolina which will allow me to take a felting course from Scotland. Premier felt artist Moy Mackay. I am very much looking forward to seeing what that brings to my felting skills.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have many goals, but the one that is closest to my heart is creating animals in artwork that are endangered, to bring attention to their situation. And also to do artwork that focuses on environmental issues that people need to pay attention to, like global warming, and what that does to animal habitats.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Promote the idea of buying real art from real artists, preferably local, instead of the cookie cutter, manufactured stuff from chain stores. I try to tell clients that come in to the gallery that real art hanging on your walls, or sitting on your shelves, emanates a completely different energy. You can sense the love and creativity that went into it.
Also, go out and support art events in your area, like receptions, festivals, etc. Just go and enjoy looking at all the creativity that’s out there and figure out what you like and you don’t like.

Contact Info:

• Website: havenhillstudios.com
• Instagram: @havenhillstudios
• Facebook: havenhillstudios

Image Credits
Sally Terrell