© Ted Fuka All rights reserved.
Vibrant color plus a sense of authenticity is what the representational paintings of Ted Fuka convey utilizing the pure pigment of soft pastels. He first discovered pastels in figure drawing classes while attending the American Academy of Art in Chicago and later found the spontaneous medium to be a good choice in creating color studies for finished illustrations in his commercial art business.
With the advent of computers in the industry, his conventional artwork was put on hold to stay current as a graphic artist until the events of 9/11. After some soul searching and reassessment of his art profession, Fuka turned his focus toward fine art. He began with finding inspiration in local bucolic landscapes and was reunited with one of his favorite mediums, soft pastels.
From early on Ted always knew becoming an artist was something that was near to his heart. Growing up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, he was always intrigued when his family would travel into the rural Midwest whether it be summer vacations to northern Wisconsin, an occasional trip to Michigan or just a drive out beyond traffic lights. Fuka has a reverence for nature and love of the outdoors during any season. The veritable beauty of nature and its enduring serenity is the impression Ted seeks to communicate to the observer while always striving to capture light and form.
His work has been juried into several prestigious regional, national and international exhibitions, and has received numerous distinctive awards. Fuka is a Signature member of the Pastel Society of America, a Master member of the Chicago Pastel Painters and a Master Circle member of the International Association of Pastel Societies.