Today we’d like to introduce you to Terry Breschi.
Terry, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
First things first, I am not an artist. For some time I had just imagined ‘painting’ as a thing I’d like to do. Maybe it was just so I could have an easel and some unfinished canvas lying around. The ‘idea’ of painting was attractive to me. I think I’m rather shallow.
The first time I actually put paint on a canvas was with my friend Paul. I had just broken up with a girlfriend and we were smoking pot at his place in Pacific Beach. Paul had an extra canvas and paint.
I was hesitant to create a landscape or subject, so I decided to focus on colors and texture. It wasn’t inspired. My first brushstrokes were safe but slowly I began to relax. Eventually I was slinging paint at the canvas on the ground. It was fun, and even exhilirating.
At one point I screwed up and thought about trashing the work. We didn’t have another canvas so I decided to work the one I had. I pushed and pulled on that thing until it felt balanced. I began to think about my making my marks more intentional. I learned how to forgive perceived mistakes, and how they could be transformed into ‘happy little accidents’ so long as I remained open minded.
I finished just as our friends walked in. They remarked on the painting “woah, that’s actually pretty good”. It was incredibly validating and more importantly, I wanted to hang mine up.
I’m a product designer by trade. My company builds software. I spend a lot of time understanding the challenges others face so my team can build solutions for them. It’s good work, but ultimately it’s a Catch-22. You get to be creative, but always in the service of someone else.
So you know, painting is an outlet for me. That first expereince reminded me that I also want to create things for my own enjoyment. I’ve found other meaning in my work since then, but ultimately its pretty simple. I aim to create things I enjoy.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
This isn’t art
I enjoy aesthetics
These pieces are just pleasing to me
My work rarely includes a subject
I’m all colors and lines
Shapes and splashes
I don’t really care about anything
There’s not really a subject that really fascinates me
I don’t even know how to paint
I just know what I like
I know what I feel
I learn about myself when painting
I feel things
Impulses and urges
Sometimes I give in
Sometimes it’s messy
But I don’t want to make a mess
I’m learning
When to act
When to indulge
When to restrain
I think more about keeping things clean
How do I contain the mess
I’ve slung color all over the garage before
And yeah, in the moment it was fun
But then it got out of hand
It was a big stupid mess
And then it ran
I got it all over my clothes
And stumbled when I reached for a towel
Then it got on my shoes
And I tracked it in the house
I had to clean it all up
It was a mess
I was really high,
and I wondered what “annoying” would look like on a canvas
The sterotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
I think finance is just another constraint. It forces you to be productive with limited means. Do what you can with what you have. To the extent you are successful… you are creative.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I have many of my paintings shown on terrybreschi.com. You can purchase them online, or message me directly if you’d like to check them out at my studio. I plan to have a show in early Fall and will post details on my website or instagram @tbreschi. I’m also hoping to connect with a gallery to host my first show.
Contact Info:
- Website: terrybreschi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tbreschi/?hl=en
Image Credit:
Image credits to Jean-Philippe Angers
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