TENDARIS ERMENIA SALBEGO WALLING
"The profound sense of my life is the glory I feel within my soul when I am painting. The sounds of others around me are obvious. But when I am painting, I am in a whole different world. I love color, and being able to put it on canvas or paper puts me into my world of peace with God and nature."
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, but a Texan for more than 45 years, Tendaris Ermenia Salbego Walling of Arlington, Texas, is an expressionist oil painter who has won many awards for her plein aire and portrait paintings.
A coal miner's daughter of Italian decent, Tendaris had an early start in art. Her father had a distinct talent for drawing and her high school teacher, Mrs. Cummings, showed a strong faith in Tendaris' ability in art, especially with color and design. This led to Tendaris helping with the design of the class ring and the junior yearbook.
After graduating from high school, Tendaris and her twin sister went to Philadelphia, and inspired by a desire to continue with their painting, visited the Philadelphia Museum. They climbed the many famous steps to the entrance, then turned around and went back down, thinking "this is much too big a step to take." Today, they visit the Museum as members, wondering what their careers would have been like if they entered that first time.
Eventually, Tendaris married a Navy man from Texas and traveled widely throughout the U.S. and overseas, finally settling in Texas in 1965. They had five sons, all now living in Texas. After a divorce in 1983, Tendaris settled into her own home where she has a studio in the main house and a "Hill Top Studio" on a nearby hill. She became very serious about her art in the period after 1983, launching her career in watercolor and traveling extensively. She visited Acapulco, studying under Al Brouilette and Steve Quillar, then traveled to Italy to study with Linda Doll. Later, it was off to Indonesia for instruction from Doug Walton, taking advantage of that trip to visit relatives in Australia.
Looking back, Tendaris said the whole travel experience gave her the feeling of being an art workshop junkie, going from place to place to study not only overseas but in many parts of the U.S. -- from Pennsylvania to Martha's Vineyard to Portland, Oregon, and even on to workshops in Fort Worth and Arlington.
Tendaris has held office in several art clubs as president, treasurer, program chairman, and group coordinator. She teaches private classes and after-school classes in public schools. She has also conducted painting demonstrations for a wide range of art clubs. Her memberships include: the Outdoor Painting Society, the Trinity Arts Guild, and P.A.I.N.T (Professional Artists In North Texas). She has also belonged to the Mid-Cities Creative Artists Association, the Society of Watercolor Artists, and the Portrait Society of America.
