Terry first began studying art when he was 12 years old, taking lessons in pastel and oil painting at the Witte Museum in San Antonio, Texas. Always passing through the museum’s permanent art collection on the way to class, he intently studied and admired the vast array of techniques and styles. Following high school, Terry attended the La Villita School of Art and the Ollom School of Advanced Design where he focused on both painting and graphic design. Moving to Houston, he continued his art studies at the University of Houston.
He became an award-winning illustrator and graphic designer, eventually building a successful career as an advertising art director and creative director at such agencies as Young & Rubicam and GSD&M.
Terry has now returned to his first love, painting, using the God-given talent and deep spirituality he has nurtured and built upon since early childhood. Capturing the ambiance and feeling of his subject matter, Terry strikes a balance between stark realism and the elements of God’s creation, bringing the viewer into an experience of being within the context of the art itself. His paintings, in a variety of mediums, reflect a strong emphasis on lighting and bold use of color representative of painters from the Impressionistic era, such as Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, and Claude Monet. His abstract and more contemporary pieces reflect his admiration of modern artists including, Fratz Kline, Makoto Fujimura and Charles Schorre.
Terry and his wife Carolyn reside in Austin, Texas, their home for more than 30 years.