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Terry's Tips
Terry Arroyo Mulrooney is an accomplished,
award-winning watercolorist from Miami, Florida.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Terry has called
South Florida home since early childhood. Terry
finds satisfaction and inspiration in variety,
and her work encompasses a range of themes and
subjects. She creates floral still life,
landscapes and portraits with equal passion, but
she has a special affinity for capturing
timeless moments and personal expressions in
portrait form.
Terry draws inspiration from many sources,
including her travels in the U.S. and abroad.
However, as an avid nature photographer and
history enthusiast she is particularly inspired
by the flora, fauna and iconic landmarks of her
beloved hometown. “Miami is such a unique
place.” notes Terry. “As far as subject matter,
there are literally hundreds of colorful,
visually stunning plants, animals and landscapes
that you won’t find anywhere else in the
country. But, as a watercolorist, what most
excites me about South Florida is its visual
vibrancy. The colors here are crisp, bold and
fresh, and the tropical sunlight creates these
incredible light, shadow and color patterns that
just beg to be captured on canvas.”
Terry’s strengths as an artist are her sense of
realism, which she achieves with an impeccable
attention to color and line detail, and her
intimate understanding of the complex interplay
between light and shadow. Her focus is on using
contrast and light to create pieces that capture
the natural beauty of her subjects.
It was precisely Terry’s affinity for light and
shadow contrasts and color depth that led her to
choose watercolors as her medium. “The
translucent nature of watercolors allows for an
amazing interplay of color and light,” Terry
explains. “Even though they may be on top of one
another, each individual color comes through
distinctly on the page. I love how in
watercolors, contrasts are made by the values of
the colors themselves, and how just a touch of
water can blend and move the colors, allowing
them to flow together. I enjoy both the unique
challenges watercolors present as a particularly
unforgiving medium, and the opportunity they
offer for self-expression and individual style.
And basically, I love the look of watercolors.
When done correctly, a watercolor is fresh,
crisp and soft, and the colors dance on the
paper.”
Terry’s goal is to master the watercolor medium.
She constantly strives to learn more skills and
perfect her technique, and to further expand her
subject matter and the stylistic scope of her
work.
Though her subjects differ widely, Terry’s
paintings all carry her signature style -- an
almost photographic quality with a feel that’s
ethereal, yet warm, and inspires serenity and
peace in the viewer. With discipline and focus,
she bends and shapes the fluid and often
stubborn watercolors to her will, settling for
nothing less than an honest, yet lighthearted
and affectionate representation of her subjects.
Her work does evoke a definitive emotional
response – however, any sentimentality is always
tempered with a breezy, at times hypnotic
tranquility or a touch of humor and charm. Terry's
Influences/ Inspiration
Terry is particularly inspired by artists whose
work has strong composition and a captivating
use of light and shadow. Artists she admires
include impressionists such as Monet, Degas and
Renoir, American portrait painter John Singer
Sargent, photographer Ansel Adams, landscape
artist Winslow Homer, and watercolorists such as
Rembrandt. She has studied chiaroscuro, the
artistic principle of using light and dark to
add definition, dimension and realism to a
subject, and applied it to both her photography
and her watercolors. Contact her at
Terry Arroyo Mulrooney Studiosfor any
questions or comments about being an artist.
If you are a creative person,
and have decided to share these creations
with the world, you will experience
rejection at some time in your career. This
goes for performing artists, visual artists,
writers, etc. Elimination is a must for many
reasons: the acting roles are limited, the
exhibiting space is limited and a magazine
can't publish all of the stories submitted.
If one accepts being left out for the
reasons above, it makes a lot of sense and
makes it acceptable. It is natural for the
rejected artists to think that it is a
rejection of their work and question their
creativity. Let it also be said, though most
do not want to admit it, that there is
politics involved, even in the arts. It is
not just limited to government. The right
connection gets you in the door for an
audition where more talented people may not
have the opportunity. A bad piece of art may
still be selected because of the prestigious
name behind it.
Here is an example of
the process and shows that the
reasons for rejection has nothing to
do with the painting, but with the
factors and the people involved. A
painting was submitted last summer
to a show. It was not only accepted,
but won "Best In Show". The same
painting was submitted this past
November to a gallery and was
rejected. The quality did not
change, just the person making the
selection. Artists in all categories
must have thick skin and high self
esteem. If you create a piece that
makes you happy and you feel you
want to share it, please do so. All
successful people have, at some
point in their careers, dealt with
multiple rejections. It must be used
to your advantage. words of wisdom from
Rosie Brown.... http://rosiebrowncreations.blogspot.com/
www.artistamundo.com/rosiesart www.rosiebrownartworks.com There are so many
ways to get your art to the public
for sale. I n the sales process (my prior
life), you must first get their
attention, get them to see your
product, like your product and buy
your product. So many people think
it is easy to sell your art, well no
it is not. It takes work. There
are three reasons why people buy
art:
One: It matches their
décor/style in their home or office. Two: They are collectors and
looking for investments. Three: The particular painting calls
to the person, or they simply like
the art.
So a painting that does well in one
place, may not sell in another.
So getting your art out there is
important. It helps you to
determine WHERE your art will do
best. I am here to tell
you that it takes more than just
getting it out there. It is a
learning process to figure out where
your best audience is. So
remember that each of us has a
style, use of color, medium etc.
that could be attractive to an art
lover. What is popular to one
person will not be to another.
So keep this in mind when selecting
where your art is installed!
