by Sherry Daws
sherry@louisville.com
For Carla ‘Twiggy’ Terwilleger, the writing was on the wall, literally. Her parents encouraged her artistically by allowing her to paint on the walls when she was a child. Now, a seasoned painter, Carla is still bending the rules and living out loud, as are her ‘girls’. These sexy ladies epitomize the free spirit that lives in so many of us, each one appearing as if she may step right off the canvas and take you on an adventure you wouldn’t soon forget. Carla says each painting says a little something about her and how she’s feeling at the time the piece is created. Some reflecting her obsession with glossy magazines and high fashion, others paying tribute to her fondness for cocktails and dancing. And its impossible to not see a giggle lurking beneath the voluptuous surface of these beauties.
sherry@louisville.com
For Carla ‘Twiggy’ Terwilleger, the writing was on the wall, literally. Her parents encouraged her artistically by allowing her to paint on the walls when she was a child. Now, a seasoned painter, Carla is still bending the rules and living out loud, as are her ‘girls’. These sexy ladies epitomize the free spirit that lives in so many of us, each one appearing as if she may step right off the canvas and take you on an adventure you wouldn’t soon forget. Carla says each painting says a little something about her and how she’s feeling at the time the piece is created. Some reflecting her obsession with glossy magazines and high fashion, others paying tribute to her fondness for cocktails and dancing. And its impossible to not see a giggle lurking beneath the voluptuous surface of these beauties.
While Carla has been inspired by other artists such as Shag, Stina Persson and Kurt Halsey, what really motivates her is the strong, beautiful women she crosses paths with on a daily basis, so she doesn’t worry about running out of ideas. You can clearly tell from Carla’s paintings that she used to be a graphic designer and illustrator. Her style is abstract, modern, but most of all, fun. According to Terwilleger, that’s the glory of art; you don’t have to know anything about it, it doesn’t matter where or with whom you studied, if at all. You just have to like it.
Although Louisville is the center of Carla’s world, she says it’s an open relationship. She flirted with Lexington while attending college at UK, had a somewhat long and heartbreaking affair with Los Angeles and hasn’t met a beach she can say ‘no’ to, but the Derby city is home. She loves the warm smell of honeysuckle in the spring, the parks, the local music scene, the food and the fact that eventually everyone comes back and the transplants stay. She says so many of her favorite people are here and she relishes the nights spent at home, cooking, drinking wine and laughing...a lot. Carla believes everything a person enjoys doing should be done more frequently and more lavishly and she doesn't think there's any place better for that than Louisville?
Some of Carla’s other favorites:
Cherokee Loop - there’s no better place to take a walk.
Avalon - one word: martinis.
Sapporro - Iwa Maki sushi is the "best ever".
Basa - the wine list is simply fabulous.
Old Towne Wine & Spirits - the boys who work there are SO cute. Oh and they have great pomegranate martini mix.
