Local Artist Spotlight: Terri Dilling

Sunday, October 12, 2014

We're teaming up with WonderRoot to highlight local artists from their 2014 Art CSA. Inspired by agricultural CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), they have set up a Community Supported Art program in which folks can buy a share and get 6 unique piece of art created by local artists. Shares are still available so don't miss your chance to enjoy curated local art for a great price!

Our Eat Local Art Local partnership will highlight each of these local artists as they prepare for the debut of their artwork at their Pick Up Party. Terri Dilling and Daniel Flores are next in line to unveil their work. We chatted with Terri to get to know her and her art...

G&G: What is your style?

TD: My work is mostly abstract, but definitely inspired by forms and patterns found in nature, especially plants and flowers. I’m also fascinated by microscopic realms which really are the tiny structures that make up our big world. As a painter and printmaker, I explore these things visually, trying to better understand the world around me, and to appreciate its beauty and complexity.

G&G: Tell us about the pieces you’ll be doing for the art CSA

TD: The series is called “Thrive” based on the idea of life manifesting in a variety of ways. Charles Darwin posed the idea that life emerged from a “warm little pond”, so this is my version of a primordial pond with a bloom on the edge and other developing forms inside. The image is the same in all the pieces but the colors are different, reflecting chance and diversity in my processes. Each piece shows a unique outcome in the way it evolved. For me, the concept is not just about looking at nature to understand where we come from, but also acknowledging possibilities now, and different ways our own lives can evolve.

G&G: Tell me about your process

TD: This series involves the cyanotype process, which involves exposing light-sensitive paper in the sun so that it turns blue. This is my starting point for all the pieces, but then each one is hand painted in a variety of ways. I really love exploring color relationships – how one color looks when it is next to another color, and what kind of mood is created by warm colors, cool colors, bright colors, etc.

G&G: Where do you get your inspiration?

TD: The general areas of inspiration for me are nature and science, focusing on how things are structured, how things grow and interact with each other. I like to research these kinds of topics that generate ideas for my art. For instance, this week I’ve been looking at images of vines, and of neurons, as well as reading about cyanobacteria. Can’t wait to see what comes from that!

G&G: What inspired the piece you are creating for the art CSA?

TD: A couple of years ago I was awarded a project grant to work with scientists from the NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution (based in Atlanta). They are primarily a group of biochemists who study how life emerged and evolved, and what implications that has today. I find the research fascinating and it continues to influence my art. It is especially relevant to my current CSA project.

G&G: What does local mean to you? 

TD: I perceive “local” as the community that surrounds me, and I feel it is really important to be connected and engaged locally. As an artist this means being involved with the local art community, but it also includes being a part of a neighborhood, a city, a region. With regard to the food community, I am so glad that the idea “local” has gained popularity and that we have a thriving scene of farmers markets and farm-to-table restaurants around Atlanta.

G&G: What do art & cooking have in common?

TD: Both involve a creative process. You start with basicr materials/ingredients and use them to make something new. A certain set of skills is necessary, but for great art and food, you also need vision and ingenuity. Everyone has their own style of cooking, just as artist have their own style of making art.

G&G: What do you like to cook at home? 

TD: Cooking is something that my husband and I really enjoy together. I usually don’t follow a recipe strictly, but make my own revisions and substitutions as I go. Oven-roasted vegetables are probably one of my favorite things to make – okra, eggplant, carrots, potatoes, squash, you name it. Most vegetables taste better when they are roasted!

G&G: Tell me about your experience with the G&G meal?

TD: We had a wonderful pizza with bacon, apples and gouda cheese. I served it with an arugula salad and it was such an enjoyable meal. It was an unexpected combination of flavors for a pizza but they worked so well together. Sweet and salty are so good, not to mention delicious cheese! I was also impressed with the way the G&G meal was packaged and presented, along with clear and easy directions.

G&G: If you could be a fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?

TD: I think I’d want to be a tomato. The have such an appealing red color, and are so versatile. I love eating tomatoes fresh or cooked, and they are an important part of so many dishes, across so many cultural cuisines.