Art is energy. It moves people. It heals. Art communicates without words —Brad Teare
Artistic Journey
I first saw original paintings by Vincent Van Gogh on a visit to the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. I marveled at the visceral power of the thick applications of beautiful color. Reproductions of his work were faint shadows of the originals.
Intrigued with how to teach myself to paint with thick texture, and mystified by the paucity of information on the subject, I started my blog Thick Paint. It chronicles my experimentation with a wide variety of mediums and techniques to achieve paintings that are visceral, tactile and, I hope, deeply moving. The blog and Youtube channel have since provided information on the topic to over 2 million viewers from nearly every nation on the planet.
In 2012, I began doing experimental abstract paintings to more deeply explore the texturing process. I used acrylics since they allow unlimited layers and bizarre texturing mediums without the threat of cracking. I studied combinations of color and texture using a unique painting process that frequently employed both hands and mediums such as fumed silica, calcium carbonate, and marble dust. I worked for two years on the acrylic abstracts.
After my explorations and two successful abstract shows, I returned to landscapes with a desire to infuse oil paint with even more texture and vibrating color. I also embraced the palette knife as my primary means of paint application.
The newfound fusion of techniques provided a rich repertoire and a robust, energetic wellspring for a new generation of paintings. After a long search, I finally found my home.
BIO
Brad Teare built a successful career illustrating for publishers such as The New York Times and Random House where he did book covers for authors such as James Michener, Anne Tyler, and Alice Walker. In 1994 his aspiration of painting the Western landscape reasserted itself, and he moved to Providence, Utah, a small town in the Rocky Mountains.
Teare has been invited to many artist residencies including the Maynard Dixon Residency in Mount Carmel, Utah and the Forbes Trinchera Residency in Southern Colorado. His work has been featured in magazines such as American Artist and Gulf Connoisseur (Dubai). His work has been included in shows such as the LA Art Show, the Springville Museum, the Door County Plein Air Festival, and the Forbes Galleries in New York City.