*Please note that this web site is only a look into the art of Terry Gilecki from a personal perspective and not a source to purchase his art. If you are interested in attaining original art, or a limited edition giclee print on canvas, please feel free to contact the artist by email for a list of the galleries that represent him, or for more information visit his official website @ www.terrygilecki.com
About what drives this extensive Koi series... and the artist:
“With a training and early background in commercial art, I have had the opportunity (and necessity) in my 40 years, to master some techniques and materials that developed from the successes and failures of my career. What I learned from both good and bad experiences, largely make up the techniques I use in my paintings today".
"From my first real fine art sale when I was a teen, to my early sign writing and screen printing days, to award winning airbrushed vehicle art, to commercial art illustration, to international billboard productions, to fine art mural commissions, to finally come around full circle to making fine art. It may sound to most, like the long way around to get back to where I started but without that journey, there would have been far fewer experiences to build on. Anyway, it has been a challenging and very interesting round trip."
"There have been many subjects I found interesting and worth exploring as an artist over my years. I believed art was something that had to be more than another version of another artist's vision. I wanted to make art that is "original"... art that would identify with me, and art that would be identified to me. I wanted to make art that makes an impression on, or at least moves a viewer in some way to feel something. I wanted to make art that projects a positive effect on the viewer. I wanted to make art that resonates with all people of all ages. I wanted to make art that could be convincingly real and surreal at the same time. I wanted to make art a viewer can escape into, find peaceful contemplation, away from the stresses of the day. And finally... I wanted to create art that would be considered classic and timeless".
"When I first experienced the charm of the Koi pond (and many others will agree) I was struck by the sense of calm and tranquility just being around it, bestowed upon me. I knew at that moment, that this was a place that touched me and that I would have to put to paint and canvas. It became clear from my first attempts at painting the Koi in their tranquil watery scenes, that it was a challenging and most profound essence to capture. With more study of my new subject, I discovered it was not only a compelling subject, but a very diverse subject with universal appeal, worthy of more exploration and my dedication. This I thought, is exactly the subjectI have been looking for"
Undaunted and after much trial and tribulation Terry was pleased to find he was able to translate the effect so well onto canvas, allowing him to bring a piece of this paradise into the viewers home. Surprisingly, even after years of dedicated painting of the Koi and the world they live in, He has proven that the subject inspires an imaginative range that can provide him with as vast a source of ideas and concepts to explore, as any conventional landscape artist could imagine. In fact The progression of the series has only begun to expose the tip of the limitless creative potential and depth to what is lurking just beneath the surface. There is a vast macro-scape of imagination where he can easily blend the surreal, the real and the abstract, into the visions, thoughts and concepts that gives his art it's unique voice and distinct identity.
Countless people from around the world and from all walks of life have been touched by this colorful descendant of the humble brown carp. Both the Koi and their history are colorful indeed. It is a creature whose origins, evolution and diversity is so deeply and symbolically ingrained with us that the "Koi" as the species we know today, would probably not exist today without our influence in their world.
High quality Limited Edition giclee prints on canvas are available for select images. They can be found in galleries across the US and Canada. Original paintings are collected world wide and are available from representing galleries in Canada and the US. A limited number of commissioned paintings are accepted each year.
