Career
Teaching career
After earning his Degree in Art and teaching credential from the National College of Art and Design, Teeling spent twelve years teaching Art at several Dublin colleges before taking a hiatus to pursue his creative drive in the animation industry. [2] His pedagogical experience contributed to the clarity and accessibility of his artistic approach, evident in his later instructional work and public demonstrations.
Animation work
Following his art education, Teeling pursued a successful career in animation, working internationally with studios including Don Bluth Productions on two feature films. He also worked as a background artist for Fred Wolf Films, producer of many successful TV series including Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the USA), Zorro , and The Fantastic Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor .
Teeling travelled to Norway in 1996 to develop his first animated feature film, Gurin with the Foxtail. [2] Work was also produced for several animation studios in Germany and Italy. Additional work appeared on RTÉ, the Irish state TV broadcaster, and his creation Fearless Film was produced for Children's Television, Dublin. [2]
This international experience enhanced his technical skills and provided him with a broader perspective that would later influence his fine art career, particularly in composition and narrative elements within his landscape paintings.
Return to fine art
Teeling returned to fine art painting with enhanced technical proficiency and narrative sophistication acquired through his animation work. His artistic philosophy centers on "the elevation of the spirit and the celebration of life", seeking to transport viewers from the mundane into a world of romantic beauty. [1]
Artistic style
Teeling's approach to painting emphasizes the en plein air tradition, working directly from nature to capture the immediate effects of light and atmosphere. His technique demonstrates the influence of French Impressionism while maintaining a distinctly Irish sensibility in subject matter and color palette.
His artistic philosophy centers on "the elevation of the spirit and the celebration of life", seeking to transport viewers from the mundane into a world of romantic beauty. [1] This philosophy is evident in his treatment of Irish landscapes, where he captures not merely the physical appearance of locations but their emotional and spiritual resonance.
Teeling's work is characterized by:
- Loose, expressive brushwork typical of impressionist technique
- Emphasis on capturing changing light conditions
- Romantic interpretation of landscape subjects
- Integration of narrative elements from his animation background
- Focus on the transformative effects of Ireland's distinctive atmospheric conditions
His paintings often feature Dublin Bay, the Grand Canal, and coastal scenes from County Wicklow. [3]
Notable works and commissions
The 1916 Rising series
In 1996, An Post, Ireland's postal service, commissioned Teeling to create a series of ten oil-on-canvas paintings to commemorate the Easter Rising. [4] The large-scale works, each measuring 36 in × 50 in (91 cm × 127 cm), depict key moments of the Rising, such as Patrick Pearse reading the Proclamation of the Irish Republic at the General Post Office (GPO). [5]
These paintings were displayed in the GPO as part of An Post's ongoing efforts to honor the Rising, and remained on public view in the main hall of the GPO until the building was refurbished in 2005. [4] This commission established Teeling as an important documenter of Irish historical events through art and demonstrated his ability to handle large-scale historical narrative painting.
Landscape works
Teeling's landscape paintings focus primarily on Irish subjects, including:
He has also created works during his time in California, demonstrating his international plein air painting experience. [3]
Author
In his first book, Norman Teeling Paints The Irish Landscape In Oils [6] , Teeling presents his approach to painting landscapes in oils and includes step-by-step, instructional demonstrations. It contains more than 200 full colour artworks. Preface by Sunny Apinchapong-Yang.
In 2017, Teeling published his second book, Around the World in Eighty Paintings [7] , which documents his travels and the artwork he created in various locations globally.
Musical career
Norman Teeling is an accomplished guitarist, vocalist, and composer who has been active in the Irish music scene since the 1960s. [8] In the 1960s, he performed with Dublin-based bands, including The Difference (band). [8] In 1978, he composed both tracks for the Jim Power & Taurus single, "Only Yesterday" and "Night Time Has The Habit Of Dragging On," released on Power Records, which gained recognition among new wave collectors. [8] That same year, Teeling led Norman Teeling's Thunder Band, performing at a fundraiser for the Phoenix Park Peace Festival, and recorded an unreleased album, Ashes In The Wind, with the Norman Teeling Band at Keystone Studios. [8]
In the early 1980s, Teeling pursued a solo career, releasing the single "Health Freak" in 1980 on Muscle Records, followed by "Nag Nag Nag" in 1981 on Phaeton Records, the latter featuring a studio track with Eric Bell (formerly of Thin Lizzy) augmented with live audience effects. [8] He also released two solo albums on Phaeton Records, the first blending rock, blues, country, and jazz influences, and the second focusing on blues rock. [8] In 1985, Teeling formed Hank Halfhead & The Rambling Turkeys, a band noted for its humorous and energetic performances. [8] His 1992 cassette release, Forcefield, on Phaeton Records included tracks such as "Ten Long Years To Go" and "Cafe Blue." [8]
Teeling later explored jazz with the Norman Teeling Trio, releasing the album Jazzing At Midnight in 2010 on Anew Music, featuring standards like "Summertime" and "Bluesette" with Pat Henry on bass and Philip Rennicks on drums and keyboards. [9] In 2012, he formed Crushed Rose (band) with Henry and Wayne P. Sheehy, releasing a self-titled album on Teelo Records, accompanied by a music video for "Ten Long Years." [8] [10] Teeling's musical contributions span multiple genres, complementing his career as a painter and animator. [10]
Collections
Teeling's paintings are held in private collections throughout Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Notable collectors include:
His work is also represented in corporate collections and has achieved consistent market performance over two decades, with auction results ranging from €550 to €4,952, indicating sustained collector confidence in his artistic output. [11]
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