“SUNFLOWERS”: Bucks County, Pa., artist Trisha Vergis uses oil paints to create works featuring florals, landscapes, interiors, and animals.

By Thomas Kelly

Trisha Vergis is a Bucks County, Pa., painter who paints from life, not from photographs of life. She paints what she sees, where she lives, inside and outside. She is upbeat and hopeful and her work reflects her outlook. You may see her painting outside on the curving farm roads of Bucks County, as much of her work is done onsite in plein air. Her work is well collected, attesting to its approachable nature.

When did you begin in the arts and what was your start in painting?

I began painting when I was 5 years old. My real start in painting was the never ending paint by numbers projects in my young teen years. My dad was artistic. He could draw likenesses from memory. He was good. He inspired all six of us kids to be able to create.

Who were your early inspirations?

My early inspiration was my father as he taught me how to draw and paint. My parents encouraged us to be academics. While I was studying at Ursinus College I was lucky to have been taught the foundation of drawing and painting by Barbara J. Zucker. Post college I landed an apprenticeship with Martin P. McNulty, master sculptor, carver, and guilder. He taught me the way of an artist and encouraged me to become a master of these trades as well. After 16 years of this intensive work my arm started hurting from the overuse. I switched to my first calling of oil painting.

Please speak about your method of painting directly from life.

My painting process involves progression of steps. First, I like to sketch my painting directly with a brush on my canvas. This sketch becomes my underpainting. Then, I map out the finished painting in my mind.

As the sketch is ready for color, the color mixing and decision-making continue. This part of the progression involves many important and fun decisions. I work directly without the use of photos or computer-generated images. In other words, I paint directly from life and from my imagination.

I sink into “art brain” and work at lightning speed. The entire process is a negotiation with myself. Each move is carefully considered, adding my personal touch to the work. As the canvas starts to take on a finished feeling, I slow down my movements.

This is the most challenging part of the process, as it is crucial to avoid overworking the painting.

I carefully assess the painting, ensuring it has the perfect balance of detail and expression. Once I feel the je ne sais quois I have been pursuing, I stop, call it a day, and sign my beauty.

Are what we see in your paintings really your outlook and your life?

Yes. Since I paint what is around me my work takes on a lifelong journey. I love to paint what I see: field, barn, house, window, cat. I will repeat the same scene, sometimes even using the same angle from the same exact spot. I will paint the same scene in different seasons or light. I have been seen on the side of the road in a perfect painting location at my easel with orange traffic cones around me for safety! I don’t paint from photographs. I can fix things on my painting while painting from life. I make adjustments to the composition. I can cut down the size of a barn, move a tree, reposition houses. Photos can’t do that for you.

What media do you use and why?

I love working with oil paints as I enjoy the feel, the smell, and the beauty of the paints. I am hoping the painters understand the aroma and the feel of the paint. I love the simplicity of the process too, especially when I am painting outdoors.

Please compare your painting plein air vs. painting in the studio.

When I paint plein air, time is of the essence. With so many variables the work takes on an unpredictable character of its own. My outdoor work is very loose compared to my studio work. When working in the studio, my paintings may be impressionistic or may take on a more realistic refinement. I enjoy both and need to do both due to the weather. Snow is not bad to paint in if it is not too deep to walk or hike in. Ice is a different story, if it is not safe to walk it is not a good time to paint. Outside I travel light, just carrying my easel, backpack, and my stretched canvas or board.

What fight/struggle do you have regarding your art? (studio space, money for supplies, physical limitations, time to create, recognition, sales, etc.?)

My biggest struggle regarding my art is certainly financial. My life has been a great adventure of undulation, challenging years and easier years.

You seem to vary your works with landscapes, interiors, animals, and florals. Does that keep your energy fresh or is it more seasonally adjusted?

My work is seasonally adjusted. I love painting outdoors all four seasons. This has limitations as the weather can be a real bear. My fruits and florals are based on when they are in season. I love painting sunflowers in the studio when the weather is too hot to paint outdoors. I love painting when it snows if it is not too windy and the trees are bare and the light is outstanding. It is worth the inconvenience of bundling up.

What is most difficult about being an artist?

The most difficult thing about being an artist is uncertainty, or maybe uncertainty is what keeps me going. I learned early on not to worry and to stay focused on the artwork. The journey is believing in the unknown. We never know how an art show will go. We never know what will sell. Sometimes we make money, sometimes we do not. It is a fear-based leap of faith, with wild undulations. By the time of the opening, sometimes I feel like I need a cigarette. Thankfully I also will have the next event in the chute, and I will be thinking about what’s coming up.

Where can we see your work?

My artwork is represented at the Silverman Gallery in Bucks County. I also have a passion project coming up. I am exhibiting work in Wrightstown. Pa., where I grew up. The show is called “Wrightstown Brushstrokes.” It is a three-person show with April Ann Bohmler and Kay King. The exhibit is held at the historic Wrightstown Octagonal Schoolhouse. We will be painting plein air at the event on June 21 from 1-5 p.m.

What is on the horizon? What are you looking forward to?
I look forward to painting indoors and being out as much as possible. Each painting and each sale of a painting leads me on.

To learn more, visit silvermangallery.com, trishavergis.com, and facebook.com/Trishavergis.