Therese Ferguson just returned from Delray Beach where her painting "Green Bromeliads" was accepted into the 2008 Florida Watercolor Society Show. The painting will hang at the Cornell Museum of Art through the middle of November. She was awarded the Alan R. Chiara Memorial Award and the Daler Rowney Award for this painting. As you can readily see, congratulations are in order. Her paintings stand out due to the strength of her composition and her attention to detail and vibrant colors. 
Therese has been working in graphic arts and design for over 30 years. Her major emphases include watercolor and painting on gourds. In addition, she has perfected cutting the gourds into decorative designs. In following her artistic path to the present, she went through periods of designing candles as well. 
Therese is very active in the community as her recent and upcoming activities reflect. She just recently painted one of the fiberglass turtles for the Children's Home Society fundraiser, "Turtle Hatchlings." The turtles were auctioned on September 27th. If you haven't seen her turtle, picture it in your mind. First her turtle's name was Sally. She painted Sally to depict a Florida tourist who wasn't afraid to venture here even with the threat of hurricanes. To that end, she gave Sally a bright turquoise shirt with flowers, shorts, sunglasses in her pocket and bright red lips. Another community project that sought Therese's participation is the Brevard County Art Teacher's Fundraiser. For that project, she painted a stool to help them raise funds. You can view the stools during the First Friday of October Art Walk in downtown Eau Gallie on October 3, 2008, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The stools will be on display at various businesses on Highland Avenue. Therese's stool will probably be on display at the Art and Antique Gallery at 1419 Highland Avenue where she is a member. Hers has a beautiful white heron on top with a black base. She admitted, "Doing it was contagious, while painting it, I could just imagine doing a whole series of stools with birds, fish, shells, and animals on them." There will be a silent auction for the stools.
Some of the upcoming art events on the horizon for Therese are:
She will participate in ArtWorks this year. This is the Eau Gallie outdoor art festival. It is scheduled for November 22 and 23, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. The beauty of ArtWorks is that the artists not only display their work, but they demonstrate their craft during the show. Be sure to stop by to see Therese during the show.
She will be in the Brevard Watercolor Society's SPLASH show in February also. So, watch for information about that show.
And, you can always see her work at the Art and Antique Studio & Gallery at 1419 Highland Avenue in downtown Eau Gallie. Be sure to stop by the gallery when you are in the area.
In addition to painting, Therese teaches through the Brevard County School Board's Adult Continuing Education. You can obtain information about the classes on their web site or by calling the gallery at 321-253-5553. And, there is always a flyer posted at the Melbourne Art Supply Store.
Therese is so busy that she says it's sometimes hard to find time to paint for herself. Of her approach to painting she said, "When I work on a full sheet, I work in a lot of detail and this takes a long time to work out. By the time I have a painting drawn, I have worked on it so long that I have a good idea where I am going. I am constantly recomposing areas as I paint to improve composition and to make it a stronger painting, one that will grab you when you see it."
Her technique is working. Her paintings are wonderful. To see more of her paintings visit the gallery website at http://www.artandantiquestudio.com/ and click on her name. Or better yet... stop by the Art and Antique Studio and Gallery and see her paintings in person.
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Therese Ferguson just returned from Delray Beach where her painting "Green Bromeliads" was accepted into the 2008 Florida Watercolor Society Show. The painting will hang at the Cornell Museum of Art through the middle of November. She was awarded the Alan R. Chiara Memorial Award and the Daler Rowney Award for this painting. As you can readily see, congratulations are in order. Her paintings stand out due to the strength of her composition and her attention to detail and vibrant colors. 
Therese has been working in graphic arts and design for over 30 years. Her major emphases include watercolor and painting on gourds. In addition, she has perfected cutting the gourds into decorative designs. In following her artistic path to the present, she went through periods of designing candles as well. 
