We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Teresa Carter a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Teresa, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I started a series of paintings that depict the process of my journey through grief. After my husband passed away, my world flipped upside down. He was the love of my life, my partner in the trenches of life, and the other artist pea in my pod! I found it hard to want to live, let alone create. I clung to my Father God for dear life and He held all my pieces together. After a year of grieving, I picked up the paintbrush again. What came out was a series of works that portray my emotional journey from grief to hope. The flowers represent thoughts and emotions. We are what we think so positive thoughts about ourselves, our life, and our future are vital to obtaining our goals and having a fulfilling life – even when life throws you a curve ball. There is always hope. The pieces that I created are visionary, contemplative portraits. I consider them to be self-portraits even though I am not the model in any of them.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I have a 5 year BFA in painting and then studied at the Contemporary Realist Academy for portraiture. I’ve wanted to be an artist since I was 5 years old and becoming a portraitist was always a goal of mine.

I consider myself a Visionary Portraitist. The portraits that draw me in are the ones that move me emotionally. It’s those portraits that make me curious; I want to know more about their story. I feel a portrait should be intriguing and evocative, it should show you some aspect of personhood. This is my goal as a portrait artist. I consider it visual, thousand-word storytelling.

The question that drives me: Is it possible to convey someone’s internal essence? Will their personality translate? If I can capture at least one or two aspects of someone’s personal journey, I feel the painting is successful. As an artist and portraitist, I feel it is my job to capture a likeness but also reveal the hidden, internal beauty of each person I paint.

We are complex human beings with a spirit, mind, and body that evolves with time and develops with experience. When I approach a new portrait, my hope is that the outcome will be as unique and multi-layered as the person I am painting. I search beneath the surface to uncover the beauty of their soul. I am interested in the process of creative translation and how aspects of spiritual and cultural symbolism can play a role in the portraits I create.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When my husband passed away I had to figure out how I was going to proceed with my life and that meant figuring out how I was going to make a living. I had only ever been a full-time mom and a part-time artist, so I had to decide if I was going to throw in the towel and ‘just get a regular job’ or follow my heart and my passion, hang my sign as an artist and just go for it. I decided to go for it. It has not been a quick or easy road. It is hard to make a living doing any kind of art but I chose to be true to who I was created to be and not settle for anything less. Stressful? Yes. Fulfilling? Definitely.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

When I painted my journey through grief, one of my goals was to help others on their journey. Grief, heartache, and loss are all common denominators in people’s lives. To show someone hope in the midst of real pain is a driving factor in my art. And when it comes to the portraits I paint, I want to give the client something that speaks to how fearfully and wonderfully they’ve been made.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.teresawestcarter.com
• Instagram: @twc.artist
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twc.artist
• Other: I have just released a young adult fantasy novel that I wrote and illustrated called: Curio & the Land of Wate. You can find more information about it here: www.landofwate.com

Image Credits
Teresa West Carter