Terrell Lozada and her husband Doug Piotter

In the Theatre world a triple threat is someone who can sing, dance and act. Well, in my opinion, Terrell is a triple threat in the art world. She can paint, sculpt and sew. One day she showed me a dress she had made; the entire garment was hand stitched. I nearly fell off my chair.

Terrell has been in business since 1995. She creates objects characterized by beauty, luxury and intelligence. She’s “on a mission to absolve painting and sculpture from the obsessive ‘don’t touch’ realm of the fine art world by creating work that is integrated into a more holistic sensory experience”. Hence her forays into majolica and painted fabrics. She can do it all, loves it all.  Her fine art and decorative home furnishings include: works on paper, oils on wood panels; bronze sculpture; murals, majolica dinnerware and tiles; water and oil gilding and hand-painted fabrics for interior design application.

She is the design half of a design/ build team with her husband Doug Piotter, a carpenter and general contractor. Together they have remodeled 3 houses. Terrell’s design elements add flourishes throughout; cabinetry designs, interior glazing, silk covered ceiling fans, painted headboards and of course custom wall colors.

 

  

 

Who inspires Terrell

Every day: Prem Rawat (Words of Peace Global- www.wopg.org).

The grand element of fantasy in the work of Xavier & Claude LaLanne, Nicky Haslam, Kelly Wearstler, Sandro Botticelli inspires me.

My husband inspirits me!

 

What Terrell does

I make stuff. And I’ll work with anything- even marshmallows if there are enough of them. I paint, sculpt, print, draw, design, sew, gold leaf and paint some more. I think a lot. And then I try to make what I’m thinking about. I do a lot of color and shape correcting- it’s exhausting and it’s a big part of my aesthetic skill set. I get snagged visually when a wall color (for example) is not sitting comfortably in the light of its room- it’s enough to drive me nuts. I color correct it in my mind every time I look at it. I painted our dining room 6 or 7 times before I got it right. (I recognize that’s not a great plug for my color consulting business, but some colors are tough to nail. And I have to say the current color is superb). Once the color or shape is comfortable to me it quiets down and I don’t see it any more. I move on to the next thing. 

 

What Terrell Does best

Laughter. After that, thoughtfulness- both in relation to my work and to people.  And I have to say I make an excellent roast chicken.

 

What other profession Terrell would like to attempt

Law. Actually, I don’t want to practice law, just study it. I enjoy how legally educated minds navigate thought.

 

What turns Terrell on creatively, spiritually or emotionally

Clarity. Beauty. Quiet. Joy. Beauty. Kindness. And then when I’m in the studio I listen to rap- the pace of it is consistent with my movements when I paint.

 

Where to find Terrell

http://www.terrelllozada.com/interior-haute-couture/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/terrelllozada/

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/terrell-lozada/7/399/99

 

Where Terrell got her Talent/Education

My mother and her mother were painters; my great grandmother was a poet. Artists are like 4 leaf clovers- there’s seldom only one in a clump.

As an artist I’m self-taught. I have a degree in French Literature which comes in handy with my passion for foreign interior design magazines.

 

Finally borrowing from Bernard Pivot- If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Good job! You learned all your lessons and you don’t have to go back.

 

 

Image: (1) Portrait by DCTdesigns (2) Others of Terrell’s work from her website

 ***I hope to make this a regular feature on my blog. Tuesday Talent Interviews are designed to introduce you to a myriad of incredible artisans. Enjoy!