History and Influences

Early Years

Teresa Gaughan was born and raised in London, England by her Irish parents. Her father was a Bespoke Tailor, who after many years working in Knightsbridge, eventually set up his own business at home and Teresa started showing great interest in his work. The most fascinating thing Teresa remembers, is watching her father interpreting his clients' measurements (often by-passing the pattern drafting stage) and drawing out the bespoke garment directly on the cloth. During this time Teresa developed an experienced eye for fit and proportion.

Biba

Teresa went on shopping trips with her older sister to places like Carnaby Street and the amazing Biba store, which took over the old Art Deco Derry and Tom's store in Kensington. In each different section of the store, it felt as though you were in the middle of a 1930's film set. Biba offered an exotic fantasy 'lifestyle' from a bygone age and when it closed it was like the end of an era. Biba's founder,Barbara Hulanicki, was an inspiration to Teresa and was her favourite designer. Biba had a lasting influence in Teresa's taste and style.

Developing an Interest in Fashion

When Teresa's sewing skills improved, her father enjoyed teaching her skills such as making hand-made buttonholes, which she practised to perfection. By combining the tailoring skills, which she learnt from her father, with her natural ability to draw, Teresa decided to study Fashion Design at the London College of Fashion. Her course included Fashion Design, Pattern Cutting, Garment Construction, Tailoring, History of Fashion, Textiles, Fashion Drawing and this was also when Teresa first started Life-Drawing classes to study the human naked form. While Teresa was in Central London on a daily basis she enjoyed going to the numerous art galleries and her favourite store Liberty's, where she loved the fabric department, the Arts & Crafts furniture and the Oriental Basement.

Influences

Her passions in art were Art Nouveau, Art Deco and she adored the romantic style of the Pre-Raphaelites. These influences can be clearly seen in Teresa's sensual female nudes. She also admired the various skills of the multi-talented artists in the Arts & Craft Movement, particularly William Morris. Teresa developed an eye for all areas of Art and Design and has a keen interest in architecture and interiors. The Ideal Home Magazine was looking for students with unusual rooms and chose to feature her rooms in their magazine.

Fashion Designer and Lecturer

On leaving the London College of Fashion, Teresa went on to work as a Fashion Designer and Pattern Cutter for various companies and as a Technical Advisor for Style and Simplicity Patterns. She was also a Lecturer in Fashion & Clothing for many years.

Teresa also built up a large collection of period/vintage clothing, accessories and buttons. Camden Market has always been one of her favourite places in London because it has a large selection of vintage clothing and here she can see the spontaneous street fashion which London is famous for. She can also indulge her other pastime, people watching.

New Creative Avenues

During this time she embarked on numerous creative activities including: Corsetry, Portraiture, Chinese Brush Painting, Marbling, Woodgraining, Interior Design, Soft Furnishings, Stencilling, Calligraphy and Topiary.

Teresa became disillusioned by the world of fashion, especially when the world became obsessed with designer labels. It seems to her that nowadays, people and even children are judged and judging others, not by considering whether they are a nice person but by what labels they wear! How could students of fashion hope to compete with big international brand names, especially with the irony that many of these students are also not willing to wear unknown labels, so who would want to wear theirs?

Specialising in Fine Art Nudes

Teresa had many changes in her life, which coincided with a new millennium and the need for a new beginning. Her need for self-expression and satisfaction made her start her life-drawing studies again, with renewed vigour. Teresa now specialises in drawing fine art nudes that can be simple studies or more sensual and erotic drawings. It is something of a paradox that now her work has nothing to do with clothing, although her own sense of style is still reflected in her work. All her previous experience and influences clearly show in the delicate details of Teresa's Fine Art Nudes and her other works.

Teresa hopes that you the viewer can now appreciate the beauty of the human form, as she sees it, uncovered.

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