Tere Gil and Colin McCallum are a passionate pair of Londoners full of creative flair with a keen desire to share their love for the city, delicious food and all things beautiful and abstract!
Born to be artists, Tere and Colin both studied at prestigious London art schools before developing their work and discovering a shared love of abstract imagery. Tere went on to work in contemporary galleries across London for over ten years, while Colin opened studios in the UK and Barcelona, regularly hosting events among family, friends and the artistic community.
Keen to share the therapeutic effects of art-making and interact with more like-minded creatives, Tere and Colin decided to add teaching to their skillset. Full of vibrant colour and messy fun, Tere and Colin's workshops focus on sharing the therapeutic benefits of art with anyone keen to discover a new hobby or shake up a can of spray paint. After all, you don't need to be an expert artist to unlock your creative potential — you just need a little inspiration.
The first thing I ever made…
Was probably a drawing as I was a creative child from a very early age — all I wanted to do was paint! My parents kept all of the drawings I made as a teenager, which I still have! It’s strange to look back and remember doing them. I also loved to cook for my parents and was always experimenting with recipes, as I preferred to create my own things rather than copy others.
I’m on a mission to …
Break down the barriers and give non-trained artists a fun insight into our world and how amazing it is to create!
When I’m creating art I...
Am totally in the moment, solving problems as I go along and concentrating on just the thing I am doing. Being creative gives a sense of freedom and release when life is overwhelming. The act of creativity is liberating and calming and feels very natural. Making art allows me to focus and feel human — it’s so rewarding to create something unique.
Teaching others has taught me…
How important it is to let students express themselves and not just show them how to do something. I have always been great with people and have huge amounts of passion and patience, qualities I know are key to being a teacher. I get lots of inspiration from students, and it’s great to share ideas and play around with them. Teaching is about allowing students to explore and invent. It’s about giving another person confidence and pride so that they want to continue their exploration of the subject.
Christmas smells like…
So many smells it’s hard to choose one! As I love to cook, the smells are mostly those coming from yummy food I plan to eat and share. I am a big traditionalist and love to eat certain foods only at specific times of the year. Christmas is about being festive on a big scale, and spices are added generously to many recipes, so smells like cloves and allspice spring to mind. Also, the delicious fragrance of mulled wine filling the kitchen is so evocative of the festive season. I also think of candles burning, which I light during the festive period. The smell of burning wax on dark cosy winter nights is very comforting!
This year I’m grateful for…
My health and that I still have so much energy, optimism and positivity despite the difficult time we’ve had during the pandemic. I am very sociable and love human contact, so the lockdown was difficult, although I put my time to good use and always knew we would come through it. I am very happy to be back doing the things I love (in real life!), like meeting new people and looking forward to the future again. I am grateful to have so many wonderful friends and my long-term partner Colin to share my life with and continue to have exciting adventures! I always look at the solutions in life, not the problems. This attitude gives me hope and determination to always push ahead!
