Biography

American, b. 1942 John Charles Terelak is recognized as one of America's finest living impressionists. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he received formal art instruction at the Vesper George School of Fine Art. Terelak's passion for paint and canvas, along with his strong command of color theory and technique, eventually led him to become Headmaster of the Gloucester Academy of Fine Art. As the demand for his artwork grew, he made the decision to devote himself fully to painting—a decision that has led to a long and successful career spanning more than three decades. In addition to his oil paintings, Terelak is a master of watercolor and pastel, and is a past President of the New England Watercolor Society. While the subject matter of Terelak’s paintings is wide-ranging, his distinctive style—marked by layered paint, glazing, vibrant color, and textured surfaces—is always evident. Whether depicting the tranquility of Vermont, the beaches of Cape Cod, the bustle of Times Square, or the French countryside, Terelak brings both emotion and freshness to his work. He often paints on location, capturing the shifting light and mood of his surroundings with immediacy and care. Terelak has said: "I’ve been painting for over twenty-five years, and after all that time, I still love to paint. I get enormous pleasure just from the smell of paint and turpentine, from the actual physical process of mixing paints and applying them to the canvas... Actually, whether I’m painting Monet’s garden at three in the afternoon or Times Square at three in the morning, the real content of my work is color and light. What I’m really doing is playing off one color against another, creating color harmonies that evoke different moods and feelings..." His work has earned acclaim from serious collectors and institutions alike, and his paintings are held in thousands of private and public collections throughout the United States. Education Vesper George School of Fine Art, Boston, MA Selected Public Collections Andrew Mellon Foundation Sheraton Corporation Winthrop Financial Corporation Prudential Insurance Company Bank of Boston Shawmut Bank State Street Bank, Boston Sterling-Regal Publishing Company Memberships The New England Watercolor Society (Past President)