Artist's Statement
A collaborative commission piece by two artists:
Barbara’s Artist Statement:
"Using line and color to create visual representations of the many glorious beauties in our world is magic to me. I love that there is always something more to learn and try, but nothing thrills me more than to have someone be moved and drawn in by one of my works."
Sonya’s Artist Statement:
"Painting is - regardless of subject - an emotional and physical response to the world. I paint what excites me and that is most often dogs or cloudscapes. My process is an alla prima pouring out of paint and silenced emotions. Their escape onto the canvas informs my style, my voice. Whether painting colorful land and skyscapes, dogs or abstracts, it is from line and gesture I derive great satisfaction and for that reason I prefer to paint large and loose without regard for the details of realism. My hope is to thereby convey my energy and joy to the viewer."
About the Artwork
A collaborative commission piece, the owner of S&S Destination tasked artists and friends Barbara Teusink and Sonya Diimmler with designing a mural for the outdoor food courtyard of her new business. She wanted a bright and colorful theme incorporating her beloved vintage red Ford truck. The artists are both big believers in the power of community in both art and life and are very active in the Crooked Creek Art League and responsible for planning and managing the League’s community art projects.
Barbara’s subjects reflect the natural world with florals, birds, animals and landscapes. A contemporary realist, she strives to capture and preserve the fleeting moments of life; an expression, the light, the season, a striking arrangement, or scene. Sonya’s work moves more towards abstract, whether painting her beloved dogs, Lake Murray or the Low Country. The friends’ collaboration on the mural pulled from both their skill as painters and their love of nature and whimsy.
The mural is done on a 5 foot by 8 foot sheet of aluminum mounted to the exterior wall. Painting by artists Sonya Diimmler and Barbara Teusink.
Installed September 2021
About the Artist
Two artists teamed up to create this artwork:
About Barbara Teusink:
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Barbara is an award-winning artist with oil paintings hanging in private collections across the US. A Crooked Creek Art League Master Artist, she has won multiple First Place awards as well as numerous other awards in local and regional competitions. She is a juried-in member of Oil Painters of
America. Her work has been featured in a book: The Great American Paint-In (available on Amazon).
In her youth, Barbara loved drawing and other creative pursuits. However, in college she took the “sensible” route and earned a business degree. Her artistic pursuits were put on hold during her many years of a demanding career. Upon retirement, she decided to rekindle her creative side and took up painting.
Barbara’s subjects reflect the natural world with florals, birds, animals and landscapes. Barbara also accepts commissions. She loves working with clients to help bring their memories and ideas to life in a custom painting.
https://BTeusinkArt.com
Barbara@BTeusinkArt.com
About Sonya Diimmler:
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Award winning artist Sonya Diimmler paints colorful South Carolina lake and landscapes along with her favorite subject and muse her Bulldog Smedley and her Boston Terrier Mattie. Having just started painting in 2015, Sonya fell in love with the process and quickly began a daily painting practice. She continually seeks to improve through frequent workshops and has studied with Mary Bentz Gilkerson and Michael Story.
https://sonyadiimmlerart.com/
sonyadiimmler@outlook.com
Scavenger Hunt Clue:
A Partnership Project by the Crooked Creek Art League and the Town of Chapin
This organization is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support in this grant comes from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.
This project was supported by a Connected Communities grant from Central Carolina Community Foundation.
