Living the Dream

Dynamic painter Dale Terbush reflects on the joys of being an artist and the things that matter most to him.

By Alyssa M. Tidwell

For the past four decades, Dale Terbush has been making his mark on the art world. The Arizona-based painter has lived all across the Southwest and beyond in his lifetime, and each location, from Southern California to Santa Fe, have shaped his otherworldly landscapes. However, the artist is quick to point out that what he really paints are skyscapes—and it’s true. Take any number of paintings featured throughout these pages, and you’ll see that most of the compositions feature dramatic, color-soaked skies.

Casting a Moon Spell, acrylic, 12 x 16 in. Available at Manitou Galleries, Santa Fe, NM.

Terbush was born in a suburb of Chicago, but grew up in California’s San Fernando Valley. During an episode of The American Art Collective podcast, hosted by our own Michael Clawson, Terbush relates, “It was the Golden State. Everybody was packing it up and the opportunities were amazing…Not just the ocean, the rolling hills, the beautiful colors…I tell people, ‘You have no idea what it was back then.’ Just unbelievable. A wonderful place for a child to be.”

There Are Two Sides to Magic, acrylic, 24 x 36 in. Available at Exposures International Gallery, Sedona, AZ.

While the scenes he paints are clearly based in reality—roaring waterfalls, craggy canyons or saguaro cacti beneath an electrifying monsoon—they ultimately come from the artist’s imagination. At times, they even feel like a dream, with impossibly steep mountaintops cresting into cloudy skies streaked with color ramped up to the highest saturation. His paintings evoke emotion from deep within, reminding you of a place you’ve been before but can’t quite put your finger on.

Lately, Terbush has been focusing on the alluring drama of nocturnes, punctuated by their cool, blue palettes and huge, vivid moons. And these nighttime scenes are in demand: he just sold one at Legacy Gallery during the weekly Thursday ArtWalk in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona. That same night, he also sold a painting at T.H. Brennen Fine Art’s 12x12 Holiday Show,as well as a painting at Mainview Gallery.

Beyond the Sky, acrylic, 16 x 20 in. Available at Exposures International Gallery, Sedona, AZ.

While we talk, he’s working on a nocturne for Legacy Gallery’s Santa Fe location. Terbush describes it as a mountainscape with an expansive starry sky and a huge luminescent moon in the center. Side note: Terbush bought a home in the North Scottsdale desert a few years ago and turned the entire home into a giant art studio. The quiet retreat serves as a continuous source of both respite and inspiration, especially those Arizona sunrises and sunsets.

As he chats and paints at the same time, I ask him what has truly been captivating him lately as an artist who’s been successful in the industry for more than 40 years.

God’s Glory, acrylic, 60 x 40 in. Private Collection.

“At this stage in my life, I just want to inspire other artists. I take great pride in this. For me, I have been so fortunate in so many ways, and it’s really great because I’ve had such a wonderful career,” Terbush reflects. “So many young artists’ careers are taking off, and they contact me and just pick my brain, and we become friends. And it’s been really cool lately because I’ve gotten to [speak with] all of these people I admire.”

Untitled, acrylic, 36 x 48 in. Private Collection.

Terbush recounts a story that took place during Scottsdale Artists’ School’s Beaux Arts fundraiser gala this past November. “So I walk in with my friend Timothy, and we go our separate ways. I like buying stuff, so I’m walking through the show and I see this painting of a little girl on the beach, and my heart skips a beat because I raised my two sons on a private beach on Laguna Beach.”

It turns out, the artist in question is the very friend who Terbush initially walked in with—none other than Timothy Rees. (Rees is an esteemed artist in his own right; he’s a Portrait Society of America faculty artist and is represented by Arcadia Contemporary, Bonner David Galleries, Susan Powell Fine Art and Studio Pintura.)

A Gift at the End of the Day, acrylic, 30 x 40 in. Courtesy Exposures International Gallery, Sedona, AZ.

Contemporary Western and wildlife artist David Frederick Riley also calls Terbush often to ask the seasoned artist questions and to get his insights. “We became super close friends from that moment on. That was around 2021. He’s just a great, great guy, extremely talented. These are the great joys of my life,” says Terbush.

“As a survivor of cancer and a heart attack, I have to say that looking back over my life, my ability to create has been my best trend in the entire world. I’ve had a couple of wives, but my art, thank God, has never left me,” he says. “During my cancer, I was basically by myself. That I could still paint when I had strength, even just a little 8-by-10, it made me feel amazing. When I paint, I feel alive. And I know there are artists who will read this and will know exactly what I’m saying.”

To Be Closer to You, acrylic, 60 x 40 in. Available at Exposures International Gallery, Sedona, AZ.

He adds that he’ll probably never retire because he’s been doing what he loves every day for the last 40 years. There’s simply no reason to stop.

Terbush is represented by top galleries like Blue Rain Gallery in Durango, Colorado; Manitou Galleries in Santa Fe; Mainview Gallery in Scottsdale; and Exposures International Gallery in Sedona, Arizona. He will also be showing at the annual Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale from January 17 to March 29. His work is housed in collections around the world, including singer Reba McIntire, actress Eva Longoria, various International Heads of State and more.