Terenia Offenbacker

Terenia at a private exhibit of her work.

"Art is my ongoing search for methods of personal expression. Art is the core of my being without which my life would be empty and void."

From collage through mixed media to oil portraits 
My creativity remained dormant for over 25 years following a life threatening car accident.  Upon family urging to renew my relationship with art I enlisted in a collage course. Despite having no previous experience in collage, I felt it was a good means of reintroduction to art.  Collage allowed me to express myself artistically while simultaneously rebuilding my confidence using brushes without the worry of producing fine lines.

My collage and mixed media work is based upon a search for varied textures and unique materials. It’s fun and surprising to see how they integrate.  All materials utilized in my creations have been salvaged, it feels particularly good recycling while producing the images I love. 

I have long been influenced, and enamored, with Modigliani’s paintings.  I love Modigliani style, especially his simplicity of lines and use of rich earth tones. To build upon my initial collage ventures I embarked on a series of oil portraits.  Several classes in oil painting resulted in a collection friends and family painted in Modigliani’s style. Upon exhibiting the initial collection I was thrilled to find numerous people admiring the portraits, and consequently many were sold.

Seeing others enjoy and appreciate my creations has been most fulfilling. I plan to continue developing my work for many more art enthusiasts to interpret and enjoy.
​