Teil’s love of painting landscapes began in the form of a commissioned forest scene inspired by the Bible verse John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have light of life.” Since this early iteration of the series, Teil has continued to be called back to the subject in an effort to continue to play with color combinations and perspective. As a subject matter that calls great viewer attention to the contrast of darkness and light, Teil enjoys revisiting landscapes often.