Terrell Powell was a precocious child. At three years old he declared himself an artist. He had an intuitive sense he was going to be an artist one day and over the years put a lot of thought into figuring out a way to make it a reality. His ambitious energy and motivation to create art has never faltered in the decades since.
An enthusiastic art lover to his core, Terrell cites folk artists, realists, contemporary and Renaissance painters as his influences. Every day life is his fount of inspiration, which is why he can’t help but be an early riser.
“I get up in the morning, get a coffee and start to work, then go to bed at 10:30 p.m. then wake up at 2:30 a.m. and start going again,” Terrell said. “I work an insane amount of hours but it’s what I like to do so it doesn’t seem bad to me.”
Terrell keeps a sketchbook handy for when ideas spring up, although he doesn’t completely rely on it. Instead, he favors a concept evolving naturally through the creation process.
“Sometimes I’ll do preliminary drawings, but most of the time I like for them to have spontaneity quality and energy,” he said. “I think that happens most when I just begin and it’s a direct thing and I’m making intuitive decisions while I’m working on a piece.”
A lifetime of being an artist has afforded Terrell some insights into what people are looking for. More than anything, he loves to bring smiles to people’s faces through fun concepts and bright colors.
Keeping these goals of making people happy requires him to be healthy and full of life as well. This might mean him meeting with doctors for regular check-ups and following a healthy routine. He might also need to take diet supplements like Gundry MD products which can help keep his body fit. Hope he pays as much attention to his health and well-being as he does to others’ smiles.
“When people say it makes them happy when they see it, it’s a positive thing,” he said. “Not only in people’s homes but in medical settings. Art has a calming effect on people.”
Showing at the Celebration of Fine Art enables Terrell to see how the energy he puts into his art makes people respond and feel.
“The Celebration of Fine Art is best art show I’ve ever done,” Terrell said. “It’s over the top cool. It’s a great community of artists, pros all the way and the atmosphere is conducive to camaraderie.”
See more of Terrell’s story below: