This feature documentary links to my film The Terry Fragments and focusses on blind painter Terry Hopwood-Jackson’s painting process. After becoming blind, Terry has developed a unique painting process and style, which allows him to execute all stages by himself, apart from mixing the colours. He uses plasticine to create the outlines and textures, which he then paints and varnishes. One painting may take him several weeks to several months, depending on how motivated and inspired he is.
In this film extract Terry summarises the painting process:
The below painting, which was specifically commissioned for the film, is called The Spirit of the Moonbather. It was painted over a period of four years and features some of Terry’s favourite motifs, such as the full moon and the back of a nude, lying woman.
Originally conceived in multiple colours, Terry eventually decided to make it duo-chromatic (Prussian blue and silver), similar to his painting Moon’s Tune (on the wall behind him). Each scene in the film depicts one of the painting stages. Below is a summary.
 Rolling out plasticine is laborious, but necessary as the thin lines represent those of a pencil. The colour does not matter, as it will be painted over. |
 The plasticine is stored in kitchen paper rolls (Terry’s own ‘patent’) in Tupperware boxes of various sizes and the lids are marked with Braille to indicate the contents. |
 The composition requires immense time and thought, imagination and inspiration are provided by memory and music or both. |
 Using a tactile tape measure (feet and inches), Terry plans the spatial aspects of particular elements (usually the horizontals and verticals) from the edges of the canvas board. |
 Terry’s signature is formed by four pieces of plasticine, which are flattened by using an ice lolly stick and the relevant lengths are cut by an ordinary knife. |
 The signature is usually the first complete element to appear on the canvas board in one of the lower corners. |
 The outline of the painting is “drawn” with lines of plasticine, pressing these into the board, sometimes painting over them for security. The range of hills in the background roughly echo the shape of the woman’s figure. |
 The moon, always a full moon, is formed by using a suitable round object, such as a lid from a coffee jar or the mouth of a circular pot. See another example for a moon painting by Terry here. |
 The moon, its reflection and the window frames are completed, though given more room, the moon’s reflection could have been rendered in “irregular slices” giving the effect of wave movement, like here. |
 After “laying the carpet”, Terry pinches the plasticine, bit by bit, between finger and thumb, so as to raise the pile of the carpet into a more textual feel. |
 The hair of the lying woman is formed by using the index finger to shift and drag the plasticine into realistic waves of hair. |
 Pam gives her feedback about the painting so far. Areas that have been missed or misshaped forms are identified. |
 Pam mixes some of the colours, under Terry’s specific instruction or as far as memory allows. They often refer to specific objects (e.g. strawberry ice cream) or other paintings to pinpoint the colour he aims for. |
 Terry uses mainly his index finger to apply acrylic paint to the more intricate and detailed texture, but for larger areas of canvas board and texture, he uses a wide brush. |
 This is a very private and almost “sterile” process and Terry is alone at night when it is quiet and no-one else is present, therefore negating any unnecessary movement of air and any foreign bodies that mar the varnished surface of the painting. For this particular painting, Terry has changed his mind about the colours at the last minute, deciding instead to only use Prussian blue and silver. |
 Terry and Pam go to the local picture framer to choose a suitable frame. |
 Based upon the size, colour and cost, in consultation with the picture framer, a suitable frame is purchased. The frame’s silver colour and linear edges harmonise with the painting. |
 Terry and Pam hang the building on the bedroom wall. Two hooks are necessary to keep the heavy painting straight. |
 The finished painting: The Spirit of the Moonbather (2012 – 2016) by Terry Hopwood-Jackson |
In this film extract, Terry presents the finished painting, The Spirit of the Moonbather, and explains the process and inspiration behind it. The women’s body is semi-transparent, thus evoking the “spirit” aspect.
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/theartsight/page3.html
It also explains his painting technique in more detail and in his own words: