'A Mother's Kindness', cast brass, found objects, water solution, and earth material in glass globe, 9.5 x 5 x 5 inches.
Teresa was raised throughout the United States, living in Utah, Arizona, Georgia, and Washington. She apprenticed with ceramic and glass artists in Washington. She also studied abroad in Hawaii learning to sculpt with oil clay on large scale armatures.
Teresa Oler received her BFA in Sculpture coupled with a certificate in Art Education from Brigham Young University. She taught Art for three years in Utah and Arizona, then moved to Seattle where she worked full time as a studio artist. She taught herself wax sculpting for casting to develop her water globes body of work. “As an artist, I am always dealing with a push and pull between the preciousness of an object and its ephemerality. Maybe I just get too emotionally attached to things, but the journey materials go on through their life amazes me. I wanted to speak to that wonder while also mourning the loss of the object being all used up. The water globes have been really difficult and technical. There is a lot of heartache wrapped up in all the failures.”
Teresa’s mediums include ceramic, cast metal, wood, glass, found objects, and watercolor.
'Miss Me', found object, coconut wood base, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 5 x 4 x 4 inches.
left to right: 'Ball Bearing', cast brass, found objects, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 7.5 x 3 x 3 inches.,
'All I Ask You', music box, found objects, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 8.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches.,
'I Pulled', zipper, velvet, silvered cast brass, found pewter goblet, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 5 x 3 x 3 inches.
'Ode to Tops', cast brass, found objects, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 11 x 4 x 4 inches.
left to right: 'Crushed Scripto', cast brass, found objects, water solution, and earth material in glass globe, 6.5 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches., 'Barbed Wire Defeated', bisque, found objects, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 9.5 x 6 x 6 inches.,
'Suspended', cast brass, found objects, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 7.5 x 3 x 3 inches.
'Fashion Icon', cast brass, found objects, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 8 x 4 x 5 inches.
left to right: 'Ancient Shards', cast brass, pottery shards, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 13 x 4 x 4 inches.,
'Reef', found objects, cast brass, water solution and earth material in glass globes, 15 x 9 x 9 inches., Detail: of globes before installation. (see center image)
Teresa's process in creating her work.
In the beginning...
Sketches of and design for Teresa's sculptures.
'Hive Candelabra', bisque mud daubers nest, found objects, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 9.5 x 13 x 6 inches.
'Metal Duo Under Water', cast brass, found objects, water solution and earth material in glass globe, 6.25 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches.
Not too long after Teresa’s work with the water globes, she took a break from showing in galleries after having a child, and moving a few times. Her travels have informed her work. Most notably, after living in Germany for 10 months she started making plans for a new body of work.
Teresa now resides in West Virginia and is enjoying the country roads and mountain vistas. She continues to work as a studio artist and develop content for a new line of work. In her spare time she enjoys brushing off her bookbinding chops, watching Korean dramas, and hanging with her wonderful husband and son.
Examples of Teresa's Book Binding Project.
Artist, Teresa Oler
