Terry Fontaine – Artist

Biography and Statement

Terry was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. While growing up he drew and painted from an early age. His grandmother, a local artist in Corpus Christi, was instrumental in getting him started in art.

After college he married and had two children. He was painting in watercolors at this time. He was transferred around the country while he worked for a Fortune 500 Company ending up in Seattle, WA. He studied and painted in watercolors while there. He had a one man show in Tacoma, WA and sold most of his watercolor works.

Terry and his wife Kathy then sailed from Seattle down the west coast to the Panama Canal and up into the western Caribbean then landing in Corpus Christi, TX. They then moved to Austin, TX where Terry went to classes in oil painting. After having moved to Carbondale, CO he spent many years painting in oils until a trip to Santa Fe changed his outlook on painting. He became interested in Acrylics.

He started experimenting with Acrylic washes, applying many transparent layers over one another. While building the painting he has to control the way the washes are applied and dry. Terry can control them to a certain extent but many times the washes take a course of their own and he has to react accordingly, changing the path the painting takes to balance out the new direction it has gone.

“I love the interaction between the layers and the way they build upon themselves”. “I try to create a balance between the layer and what goes on top of the layers”.

Terry applies the washes to build the painting till he is sure the washes have accomplished what is needed to take the painting to an almost finished state. He then applies the more realistic recognizable part of the paintings. He has applied trees, horses, flowers, buildings, houses, fruit and anything else that he feels the painting needs to finish it. He has been painting in Acrylics for many years now and his paintings keep evolving in the direction his creativity leads.

“Creativity is only limited by fear of failure. A person’s imagination is the true inspiration for creativity and must be explored constantly to challenge ones art to move to a new level”.

Terry Fontaine – Artist

Biography and Statement

Terry was born in Corpus Christi, Texas.  While growing up he drew and painted from an early age.  His grandmother, a local artist in Corpus Christi, was instrumental in getting him started in art. 

After college he married and had two children.  He was painting in watercolors at this time.  He was transferred around the country while he worked for a Fortune 500 Company ending up in Seattle, WA.  He studied and painted in watercolors while there.  He had a one man show in Tacoma, WA and sold most of his watercolor works. 

Terry and his wife Kathy then sailed from Seattle down the west coast to the Panama Canal and up into the western Caribbean then landing in Corpus Christi, TX.  They then moved to Austin, TX where Terry went to classes in oil painting.  After having moved to Carbondale, CO he spent many years painting in oils until a trip to Santa Fe changed his outlook on painting.  He became interested in Acrylics.

He started experimenting with Acrylic washes, applying many transparent layers over one another.  While building the painting he has to control the way the washes are applied and dry.  Terry can control them to a certain extent but many times the washes take a course of their own and he has to react accordingly, changing the path the painting takes to balance out the new direction it has gone.  “I love the interaction between the layers and the way they build upon themselves”.  “I try to create a balance between the layer and what goes on top of the layers”.  

Terry applies the washes to build the painting till he is sure the washes have accomplished what is needed to take the painting to an almost finished state.  He then applies the more realistic recognizable part of the paintings.  He has applied trees, horses, flowers, buildings, houses, fruit and anything else that he feels the painting needs to finish it.   He has been painting in Acrylics for many years now and his paintings keep evolving in the direction his creativity leads. 

“Creativity is only limited by fear of failure.  A person’s imagination is the true inspiration for creativity and must be explored constantly to challenge ones art to move to a new level”.