Meet Teri Hendrich C. | Artist, Writer & Astrologer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Teri Hendrich C. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Teri, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
Follow my dreams. Part of becoming a parent involves taking care of the needs of another human being. In that process, it is easy to find yourself setting your own needs, and even dreams aside (at least temporarily), in order to focus entirely on the needs of your child. This is especially true when you have an infant on your hands. As they grow and become independent it’s important to allow yourself to remember your dreams and to take the time you need to make them come true. What I have come to appreciate is that children follow by example, and if they only see their parents sacrificing their hopes and ambitions in life for the needs of others then they are just as likely to grow up to do the same. Even if it means spending a bit of time to yourself to work on what it is that you want to accomplish, your children will ultimately benefit by witnessing their parent reach their dreams and providing the example they need to see in order to reach their own.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I paint enchanting scenes from imagined dreams while casting spells in vibrant pastels. With my latest art series, Venus in the 12th, I utilized the language of astrology to create a visual narrative inspired by my own natal chart that is filled with mystery and romance. I even incorporated astrological magic into the making of many of the paintings by electing their creation with auspicious moments in time, thus making them not just paintings, but also magical talismans. I am incredibly proud to have been able to share these unique and beautiful artworks with the world in a professional gallery space for my latest solo show at Gallery 839 in Burbank, while also featuring them in my first ever self-published art book, “Venus in the 12th.” On top of this, my book also includes an original poem that I wrote that was directly inspired by the paintings. I can therefore now call myself a published poet – another first for me!

To get to this point in my career I have walked a long road filled with many twists and turns. I think one of the biggest challenges I had to overcome was believing in myself enough to be able to prioritize the work I needed to do to make my dreams come true. It’s very easy, especially as a parent, to think that you have to constantly sacrifice your time for others first. But when you operate this way all the time, it can then become difficult to ever find a moment for yourself. I realized that I needed to set aside a regular block of time each week that I could dedicate to myself by working in my art studio. Once I began that practice, then my art style and my ideas of what was possible for me to achieve with my art, evolved.

At the end of the day, I hope that my story inspires others to follow their dreams. And for me, those dreams consist of creating beautiful images with expressive paint colors that are filled with magic, mystery and story.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Any best friend of mine would likely be into art just as much as I am, so I would make that a focus of their visit here. With that in mind, this is the itinerary I would draw up for them:

On day one, I would take them to Los Feliz and bring them to Griffith Park for a morning stroll. Then we would head over to The Philosophical Research Society to check out their enlightening library and bookstore, followed by a visit to Ululani’s Hawaiian Shaved Ice – makers of the best shaved ice I’ve ever tasted! We’d then stroll down that block to check out the latest art show at the quirky, La Luz de Jesus Gallery. I would cap the day with delicious dinner and creative drinks at MESSHALL.

Day two would see us visiting the Pasadena area. Our first stop that day would be at Motto Tea Cafe to pick up one of the best boba teas in town! Then I would bring them to The Huntington Library to stroll through their gardens and enjoy their various art exhibitions. At the end of that day, I would bring them to The Raymond 1886 for an intimate dinner and inventive drinks.

On day three, I would take them to Highland Park with our first stop being the Bob Baker Marionette Theater. We would catch a show there and then follow up with lunch at Joy on York for delectable, Taiwanese food. Next up would be a visit to the Heritage Square Museum. Events like the Magic Market regularly take place there, and I know any friend of mine would enjoy walking through the historic houses, while also checking out their vendors.

Day four would be centered around the Eagle Rock, Glendale and Burbank areas, starting with a savory brunch at Penny Oven. Then I would bring them to Descanso Gardens for a relaxing stroll through nature, and to check out the art on display at their Sturt Haaga Gallery. Later in the day, I would take them over to the Brand Library & Art Center in Glendale to see their latest art exhibit and to have a look next door at the historic Doctors House Museum & Gazebo. I would cap the day with tiki themed dinner and drinks at Broken Compass Tiki in Burbank.

For day five, I would plan to take them to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles to see the latest art exhibit at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA – one of my favorite modern art museums in town! We would then go to Rice & Nori for lunch to enjoy some delicious onigiri. From there, I would drive them over to Hollywood to visit the galleries in that area, such as Roberts Projects and Control Gallery. We would end the night with a memorable and avant-garde dinner at Meteora – my absolute favorite restaurant in SoCal!

I could easily think of several other great eateries in the area, like Proof Bakery in Atwater and Plan Check in Sawtelle, if my friend were to stay any longer. There really is an endless list of possibilities here that would make for a fun and exciting trip for anyone!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have only been able to follow my dreams as an artist and as a mother to two young children thanks to the support of my husband, Jack Cusumano. When I need to spend time alone in my art studio to focus on painting, he will help watch over and entertain our kids. Jack has also encouraged me to explore ideas with my art that I was in doubt were worth pursuing. For example, I had once painted two small, abstract paintings and placed them up on my studio wall for my own amusement. They were my first abstract artworks I had ever created, so I was unsure of their appeal and therefore did not think that I would share them publicly. Jack, however, noticed them on my wall and wondered why I would not want to share these pieces. His curiosity and positive feedback motivated me to create more paintings like those, and I ended up with a 10 piece series that has now nearly sold out!

Jack is also an artist in his own right, and is currently working on pursuing his own dreams by creating an independently animated cartoon called “Broats.” He regularly posts new shorts of his cartoon on Youtube, TikTok and Instagram.

Website: http://www.terihc.art

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/colorsorceress

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/colorsorceress

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@colorsorceress

Image Credits
Teri Hendrich C. Jack Cusumano