Terence has been a professional artist in the UK since 1969, and told me that “it was in me but I didn’t know it until I was 29”. Terence has had commissions from all around the world which consisted of portraits, scenes and copies of famous paintings, in oils and water colours, under the alias of Yives Gowb. Terence is also an Artist of Pyrography, a Potter and has written three books and told me how he spent 12 years doing dog portraits through Pyrography, which is burning art on wood. He first experimented by burning his own dog’s portrait into wood and told me this led him to three television appearances. He told me that he went to give an exhibition at Bridgeport and a Westward Television executive came through the crowd and asked if they could make a film of what he was doing. He was also invited to be part of the Mr and Mrs programme where he was asked to do a Pyrography portrait and later was contacted by the BBC to do another Pyrography portrait of an actress.

Terence was then contacted by Crufts Dog Show who invited him to have a space there doing dog portraits which was so successful that by the end of the show he had commissioned 6 months worth of work and he also did dog portraits at the Windsor Dog Show. “Most interestingly, on the stand next to me was Barbara Woodhouse, who I got to know well, fascinating woman and this was before she became famous on TV.” After 12 years of doing dog portraits, where he was doing two exhibitions a year, Terence decided he wanted a change and went back to working as an artist doing the usual commissions from all over the world and Harrods handled his work for a while. Due to being on television, the local authorities contacted him to teach an evening class, which he did for an Autumn term and showed people how to use a brush, which he was taught by his father who was a commercial artist and painted during wartime. Terence firmly believes that “without the basics and right thinking you can’t do anything”.

Terence has had different properties here in the Algarve for the last 36 years, where he would travel back and forth from England. He has been a resident in the Algarve for the last 12 years as he came here for three years running on holiday and realised “I was more Portuguese than English as I am very laid back”.

“When I first came here, I got asked to teach lessons at the Gharb hotel and I did a few lessons there but Four Seasons Fairways then contacted me, so for 10 years I did art lessons there but now I just do my Painting for Pleasure classes at my home on Wednesday’s from 10:30am to 12:30pm and 2:30pm to 4:30pm, where I only teach small groups due to Covid as I need to be able to space people out”.

I asked Terence what his classes cover and he told me that “I firstly teach basics for 6 lessons and the right thinking because without this you cannot go anywhere. After that you can choose between acrylics, watercolours and oils. These friendly classes are for anyone from beginners onwards. You receive individual tuition giving you confidence in basic drawing, painting or more advanced but most importantly, the right thinking which encourages you to go further.”

“Everybody has their own style which they don’t know yet and I just enhance it over time and I go around everyone individually as I want to bring out their style.” There is a whole lot of variety in his classes and he also teaches people all different techniques including palette knife painting. “You can get lots of different effects as time goes on.”

“My aim is not only to make Painting a Pleasure but a joy for the rest of your life.”

If you are interested in joining his fantastic Painting for Pleasure classes, please do not hesitate to contact Terence Reed on 289 845 561.

Author

Following undertaking her university degree in English with American Literature in the UK, Cristina da Costa Brookes moved back to Portugal to pursue a career in Journalism, where she has worked at The Portugal News for 3 years. Cristina’s passion lies with Arts & Culture as well as sharing all important community-related news.

Cristina da Costa Brookes