Distinguished painter to share techniques
Artist Dorene Terryberry is returning to Rathdrum to share her expertise in oil painting with a few students.
Terryberry began visiting Twin Lakes Village five years ago at the request of longtime friend Shirley Davis. The artist ties her trips to North Idaho with her art by teaching a class or two during each visit – sort of a “working vacation.”
“Even if you’ve never held a brush in your hand and you are a beginning painter, you will create a masterpiece in four days,” said Davis.
But the classes, which will be held at Davis’ home in Twin Lakes Village, fill up fast.
Terryberry and Davis met in Vista, Calif., years ago. Davis came up with the idea of a working vacation for her friend. She got several budding artists at Twin Lakes Village interested in taking a class and soon signed up enough students for a retreat.
Terryberry’s award-winning paintings are coveted by collectors around the world. She has written a book on how to judge fine art, has owned several galleries in Southern California and is completing a book of short stories.
Terryberry often adds an original poem to the back of her paintings, and she has her own line of greeting cards, made to be framed as artwork.Terryberry said she learned the style of the old masters while helping with art restoration for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “I teach the methods I learned while restoring a Rembrandt in New York,” she said.
“The old masters’ technique includes three steps,” she said.
First, the canvas is underpainted with a color, which sets the value for the finished picture. Then lighter, brighter colors are added for depth, in a process called “scumbling.” Finally, a glaze of a different, usually transparent color that is a shade darker is added to strengthen and enrich the dark areas.
Twin Lakes Village resident Barbara Reitz has taken three classes from Terryberry and painted 14 or 15 of her own “masterpieces.” She made one of her paintings into Christmas cards last year because “it glowed so beautifully.”
Reitz says she’s thrilled to have found a new hobby.
“Dorene was so positive and beautiful,” said Reitz, 70. “It’s like she just gave me something new in my life.”