BIOGRAPHY

Teresa Serafina Garside is a designer and visual artist practicing in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her creativity is sparked by colour and the way in which it is a vehicle for self-expression. She is an expert generalist: eclectic, a renaissance soul and creative explorer. After thirty years, living and working internationally, she answered the call of her heart and returned to the prairies in 2020 ... the silver lining of the pandemic.

Growing up in Saskatchewan and Manitoba during a simpler time gave her the freedom to explore, gathering treasures from nature, daydreaming under the big blue sky … drawing and writing and making things from found objects. She developed a deep appreciation of the prairie landscape through all seasons, the clarity of the colours, and unique nature of the light. 

Teresa attended the University of Manitoba studying Interior Design in the Faculty of Architecture, and Art History and Film in the Faculty of Arts. After working in various design management and executive positions in Winnipeg, she accepted a position as Director of Design at an architectural firm in Bermuda. The unique environment and lifestyle of Bermuda, relative to international business and the expat community, imparted a global ‘big picture’ perspective. Bermuda's natural environment further enhanced her lifelong appreciation for colour, and as a scuba diver and triathlete, opened up new experiences of colour.

She moved to England in 1994 and worked in partnership with her husband in a design build firm, giving abandoned stone barns a new purpose by converting them into executive homes. As a Member of the Chartered Society of Designers, she served on The Colour Group, forecasting colours for industry. This peak experience crystallized her passion for colour.

In 2000, the new millenium brought opportunities back in Canada where she worked designing entertainment facilites worldwide and later large commercial projects both in Canada and abroad. She earned the nickname “Queen of Colour” from her colleagues, at a time when minimalism, and monochromatic palettes were popular. “I always felt apologetic about my love of colour”, she admits, “trends come and go and colour is sometimes thought of as less sophisticated, or even garish.” She eventually took a test which led to the discovery she was a tetrachromat, explaining the ability to perceive and differentiate between colours. She mentions a dramatic sensitivity in this area since becoming a full time painter and during periods of focussed work, describes colours as having a life of their own and an almost hallucinatory effect.

Teresa describes herself as a polymath, having a wide variety of interests. This informs her work in that she is inspired by the range, novelty and experience of learning.  She enjoys writing and has completed a feature length screenplay and several creative pieces of fiction and non-fiction.

 In the last decade, her spiritual life has become  important. She attended numerous retreats and was given the name of Aziza Mata while on an ashram in India. She is a Certified Yoga and Tantra teacher and has had a meditation practice for over 30 years. She brings mindfulness to her painting and her daily life, with an appreciation how everything is interconnected.

In Toronto, Teresa pursued amateur street photography and developed empathy for the street-involved individuals she met. She started volunteering and doing street outreach. She witnessed the complexity of the issues involving homelessness, addictions, poverty, and mental health challenges. She learned skills for suicide prevention and facilitated skill-building support groups for families. With the larger picture in mind, she developed an app for the benefit of the unhoused street-involved people and refugees.

Back in the prairies, Teresa is intent on professional growth, opening to inspiration and giving back to the community.