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The signpost speaks - "..there is art here..."
The studio grounds include a church as well as the structure which houses the studio.
Lounge area of The Abstract Studio gives art patrons a place to contemplate and discuss the matters of art.
Reverse view of the lounge area of The Abstract Studio...
BTS photo of a work-in-progress
Retained intact and part of the same complex as the Abstract Studio, the church's sanctuary serves as a place of respite and contemplation.
The true workspace of Terry McCullough in the Abstract Studio
Fine art photographer; advertising production artist; and award-winning director/cinematographer for commercial films, Terry W. McCullough is making a name for himself in yet another visual art form. Today, his sweeping, abstract expressionistic canvases are featured in solo and group shows; prized by corporate and private collectors; and a catalyst for commissioned works.
From the dark room to the film set to the edit suite, Terry’s achievements provide the foundation for his newest creative pursuit. But he is more than the sum of his experience. Part colorist, part chemist, part engineer, the Texas-born artist finds nothing more challenging — or invigorating — than experimenting with different pigments and mediums to create surprising textures and unexpected dimensionality.
He is fascinated by the ancient art of encaustic and its ability to transform a painting. In one experiment, he applied a patchwork of gesso to a painted canvas, then splattered the surface with hot encaustic. The alchemy of those ingredients produced a textural effect he describes as “amazing.”
“I paint large canvases from 36 inches up to 72 inches in size. Much of my own process starts vertically and is completed on a flat surface... I like to say I work the concept until the walls are breathless."
For Terry, such discoveries are the key to taming temperamental mediums and creating paintings that defy the flatness and stillness of the canvas. These are works with such depth and fluidity that you’ll swear the paint is moving.
About the Abstract Studio
Nestled in the piney woods of northeast Texas, The Abstract Studio is a stones throw from Sulphur Springs. Located in the historic Reilly Springs dairy country, the studio and gallery occupies a decommissioned Methodist Church circa 1956.
Leslie and Terry McCullough took over the church in the winter of 2005. The studio and gallery is Directed and Curated by Leslie and ‘TM is the Artist in Residence. It is here that he works his special magic on canvas, primarily with oil paint and encaustic, his discipline of choice.
Encaustic is an ancient process started by the Egyptians between 100-300AD. It is a Greek word meaning “to heat or burn in.” It was used in the Fayum mummy portraits and later, in the 1600-1800’s, the tribes of the Samar Island practiced the encaustic process.
Most of the art shown on this site incorporates oil, encaustic, resins, and rust in multiple layers for a lush, textour-rich look.
The Abstract Studio is not open to the public, however one is always welcome to schedule a private tour. The studio is approximately 8-miles south of Sulphur Springs, Texas. Give us a call and arrange a tour.
“My studio is so conducive to the creative process. The old church is surrounded by the Reilly Springs Cemetery built in the early 1800’s, come visit us and bring a camera!”
- TM
Contact the Abstract Studio:
Leslie McCullough
Director / Curator
Representation, Northeast Texas, Dallas Metroplex
214.803.0556 Mobile
903.383.3586 Studio
lesliem@tmpworld.com
Contact J Compton Gallery:
Representation, Austin, South Texas
251 Brunson Lane
Wimberly, TX 78676
Phone: 512-757-1535
inquire@jcomptongallery.com
The floor of the studio becomes art itself, testifying to the experience and abstraction of expression...
Floor of the studio - second view.