The Next Pollock?

Although the dark lit room of my art history classroom almost always lulled me to sleep – that is assuming I actually made it to class - I remember how several of the artists had groups of works inspired by a particular theme.  Goya’s black paintings, Gauguin’s Tahitian pieces, and Monet’s haystacks come to mind, for example.  In keeping with such a precedent, I present to you a collection of works by aspiring young artist Greta Teravainen. 

The Early Years: 2012 Holiday Gallery

My Family

Title: Tilly When She's a Big Girl

Date: December 4, 2012

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Nana

Date: December 4, 2012

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Gus

Date: December 4, 2012

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Mom

Date: December 4, 2012

Type: Sparkle and glue on (stained) paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Greta

Date: December 4, 2012

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Dad

Date: December 4, 2012

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Winter

Title: Snowballs a/k/a The Map

Date: December 8, 2012

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Snowmen

Date: December 4, 2012

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Our Christmas Tree from Last Year

Date: December 8, 2012
Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")
Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Untitled

Date: Undated

Type: Sparkle and glue on (stained) paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

The G Series

Title: G Path
Date: Undated

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Big G Path
Date: Undated

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Bigger G Path
Date: Undated

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Still Life

Title: Banana
Date: December 8, 2012

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: Rapunzel
Date: December 4, 2012

Type: Sparkle and glue on (stained) paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

Title: A Design (Bird in Flight)
Date: undated

Type: Sparkle and glue on paper (8.5" x 11")

Location: T Family Institute of Art - Kitchen

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We hope you enjoyed this collection from Greta.  Come back again for an exclusive interview with the artist...

A Little Summer in Winter

Back in fourth or fifth grade, I had a buddy whose family took me with them to a house party in Manchester on one July Fourth holiday.  Parents pretty much socialized inside the hosts’ house, while the kids ran amok outside.  I don’t recall whether the parents were not watching us closely or simply didn’t have much concern, but we ten or eleven year-olds were left to entertain ourselves.  To my utter shock and delight, it dawned on me that my peers were playing with lighters, matches, and – most importantly – fireworks.  When I look back on this occasion, it was probably one of the highlights of my short life up to that point. 

My parents were reasonably lenient about letting my brother and me engage in those “boys will be boys” activities, which were inherently dangerous but almost impossible to prevent unless they stood watch over us constantly.  You know, I’m thinking about things like climbing trees that were tall enough to kill or maim us, should a branch snap and we fell.  Or riding bikes helmetless while trespassing in the sand and gravel pits with signs clearly marked “Keep Out.”  Or hanging around the train tracks to put pennies on the rails before an engine came rumbling by Robie’s Store as we ate penny candy.  You catch my drift.

Still, my parents had their boundaries.  And handling flammable exploding projectiles was definitely off-limits.  Naturally, when the opportunity arose to handle this contraband unsupervised, I jumped at it.  Fortunately, this is not going to be a story where someone was terribly burned or lost an eyeball.  

The reason that I mention this memory is because Tilly has transported me back to that Fourth of July long ago.  The coolest part to me of playing with fireworks that day was lighting bottle rockets.  I would place the long and narrow red wooden stick with my right hand into an empty twelve ounce bottle that I held with my left.  Then, I’d light the wick until I saw the yellow spark and accompanying hiss.  Next, I’d hold the bottle up over my head at an angle to ensure maximum height until eventually – a sudden *whoosh* sound occurred and the rocket would lift off leaving a trail of sparks.  The moment would culminate with a loud, high-pitched *eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,* then a pause, and finally – the denouement – an exploding pop that temporarily rang in our ears.

Tilly makes almost this exact same noise when she is feeling ignored.  Typically, we’re at the kitchen table and we’re not feeding her fast enough.  Or, we may have left the table and abandoned her in her high chair, so she signals that we’ve left her behind.  When you turn around to acknowledge Tilly and confirm that you, in fact, heard her loud and clear, she smiles triumphantly and kicks her short sausage link legs.  I can’t help but laugh and smile back at her.  Or kiss her beautifully chubby cheeks.

As a result, I’ve re-named Tilly as the “Bottle Rocket.”  Greta, formerly known as the Pterodactyl when she was the same age, seems to like the name, too.  I hope it sticks. 

Now just in case my Bottle Rocket is ever at your house for a July Fourth party, or any party for that matter, she is definitely not allowed to light any fireworks – at least until I go first.