Terry Thiele

Artist Statement

My work explores the joy, beauty, and quiet wonder found in the landscapes closest to home. While inspiration occasionally comes from farther afield, my primary studio is my own backyard. From the shelter of a gazebo, I spend countless hours observing birds as they feed, play, build nests, raise young, and move through the changing seasons. Through sustained observation, I have come to understand their rhythms and behaviors, allowing me to capture not only their physical presence but also the energy, movement, and sense of peace they bring to the landscape.
As a photographer and artist, I am deeply interested in composition as a means of creating connection between viewer, subject, and place. I use the structure of the image to guide the eye through layered spaces of branch, sky, light, and form, seeking a balance between movement and stillness. The relationships between positive and negative space, pattern and gesture, are as important to me as the birds themselves. Each composition is an attempt to translate a fleeting moment in nature into a lasting visual experience.
My backyard functions as both sanctuary and studio, offering an ever-changing environment for study and reflection. The act of observing becomes a meditative practice, one that cultivates attentiveness to the subtle interactions between wildlife, weather, and season. In my prints, I strive to share this sense of presence and belonging, inviting viewers to discover the richness that exists in familiar places and to experience the restorative calm that emerges when we pause to look closely at the natural world around us.