Teri Hendrich C
AQ is our series of hardcover catalogs celebrating extraordinary women artists. Available on Amazon. Visit the AQ Catalog Webpage to learn more.
AQ Volume V artist Teri Hendrich C. is a Los Angeles-based painter, born and raised in the city. She graduated cum laude from ArtCenter College of Design, earning her Bachelor's in Illustration & Fine Art in 2004. She has continued to hone her artistry and storytelling for over 17 years, working in animation as a background painter and color supervisor. Her work explores imaginative worlds and dreams, influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, the Symbolist Movement, and Abstract Realism—allowing her to give visible form to invisible energies.
Her work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the Los Angeles area and has appeared on television and film sets, including Abbott Elementary. Most recently, she earned recognition in The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles' 62nd Annual Illustration West Competition under the Gallery category. Her collectors include professional animators, a state senator, and a celebrity chef.
Hendrich has been featured in multiple blogs and publications, including Keyframe Magazine, Art Seen, Create! Magazine, The Curator's Salon, and CanvasRebel.
She lives in Glendale, CA, with her husband and two children and works out of her converted garage studio. Beyond painting, she practices astrology and advocates for gender pay equity as Vice President of IATSE Local 839, The Animation Guild.
http://www.terihc.art/
What inspired you to become an artist, and how did you decide to commit to this path?
The ability to speak without words and tell complex stories simply through imagery is what first drew me to becoming an artist. While I was still in high school, I knew that whatever future career path I chose in the form of my college major would require a big financial investment and commitment. Although I knew even then that I wanted to become a professional artist, I let myself explore other subjects in junior college for about two years before fully committing to this path. By then, it was clear to me that there was nothing else I wanted to do more than create works of art that inspired others and spoke to the soul.
Could you share the story or concept behind your recent work?
"Venus in the 12th" consists of a series of paintings and a poem inspired by a love story found within my astrological natal chart. Astrology is rich with story. After familiarizing myself with the concepts of this ancient language, I became inspired by the narratives and archetypes that emerged from reading my own chart.
One of the fascinating aspects of astrology is that a planetary placement can both speak to a personal quality about yourself as well as represent an actual person. In some ways, a natal chart can be viewed like a play with actors on a stage, each with their own personality. Through this framework, I created my series, breathing life into the different planets that represent both me and those I love.
The swooshes of abstract colors in each painting serve a dual function: representing both a tender emotion and the greater unseen forces that touch and influence our lives.
What was the most challenging part of your path so far? How are you navigating this obstacle?
I am always striving to create art in a novel style with a unique voice in the hopes of making something you have never quite seen before—which I feel I have successfully achieved with my latest collection of work. The challenging part is that when you make something both visually unfamiliar and based on esoteric source material, it can be difficult not only to explain but also to find an audience for it.
The reality is that it often takes time for the viewing public to warm up to new ideas in the art world and, hopefully in the process, become collectors. Therefore, practicing patience and resilience has been my strategy for navigating this obstacle.
What role does experimentation and exploration play in your artistic practice?
They play an important role in my work since it is through experimentation and exploration that I arrive at my color palettes, which serve as the foundation for all of my paintings. Every set of artworks starts with me testing different combinations of paint colors in my sketchbook—which I affectionately call my "spellbook."
Along the way, I often mix custom paint colors while meticulously noting how I arrived at each hue so that I can recreate it later for a finished painting. Other than the note-taking, it is a freeform process where I let myself play on paper with no expectation of whether I will end up with anything worth keeping.
The funny thing is that when I have shared these exploration pages of abstract swooshes of colors with others, I often receive inquiries asking if those pages are available to collect. This positive feedback has helped me loosen up how I approach a finished painting, reassuring me that creating an appealing piece of art that others find value in doesn’t always have to be such a struggle.
Do you have any start or stop rituals before creating?
Every time I step into my art studio to begin working, I clear any stagnant energy by burning a bit of palo santo. I then light an enchanted candle and welcome positive, creative energy into the space. I truly believe that I am creating magic when I make art, so this opening ritual helps put me in the right mindset and reminds me that I am about to create something special with lasting power.
The only stop ritual I have is to clean off my brushes and blow out my candle once I'm done.
What message do you hope your art conveys to the world?
That our world is filled with magic and that there is much more to this life than what meets the eye.
Share a mantra or favorite quote that keeps you going.
"You still haven't met all of the people who are going to love you."
