Flowers burst into bloom, trees shimmer and skies flow like rivers of color in the brilliant world of Colorado artist, Terry Dunlap. Wherever her eye and brush may fall, she ignites the physical world with her own mystical, emotion-charged view and a dazzling palette of colors like fuchsia, violet, turquoise, copper and green.

As comfortable depicting the bold pueblos of New Mexico, or the richly-hued hills of the Rockies' front range, Dunlap is one artist who isn't afraid to let her brush speak for her. Large or small, her joyful canvases ring with a message of celebration and renewal. "My paintings and these vibrant colors are symbols of my inner freedom. A place and time in my life that's the best it's ever been. I'm not inhibited or guided at all by trends or popular taste. The colors to me are symbolic. In short, they represent life."

Terry's preferred medium is acrylic and her technique depends on layer upon layer of translucent color. Once the broad strokes, so full of movement and feeling, are laid down, the surface is softened and enriched with sharp splatters or mists. As the work develops, dots, bold flicks of the brush, and surface blotting of the "dots" help create atmosphere and interest, and allow colors to mix, not only on the surface, but in the eye of the beholder. Part of the excitement and beauty of every painting is the viewer's own involvement. Our color sensitivity allows us to mix the final effect in the brain so that it's possible no two people see the same painting exactly the same way.

Subjects in the artist's current body of work focus on the simple contrast of New Mexico's pueblos and the immense Southwestern sky, on fantasy landscapes with rolling hills and trees; vivid and bold florals, and horses, wild and free.