It is all about color! I have always reacted very strongly to it. I paint with pastels because of this love for pure color. I’ve been painting since 2014. Currently, I work with my mentor, Helen Kleczynski, at the Art House in Vicksburg, MI. Because pastels are an opaque medium, I have to layer color over color to create blends. I work with sticks, pencils, and rubber smudgers. I try to avoid using black and white for shadows and highlights, and make different marks to create texture and depth. I gravitate toward detail in my paintings, but recently, I have tried to loosen up a little. I work an area until I feel it looks right to me, then struggle to leave it be. I find pastels a fascinating and challenging medium to work in. My subjects are eclectic. If a scene strikes me, I’ll try it. My abstracts are pure color celebrations, using as many colors in my palette as I can. I have a background of photography (US Army), graphic design (NASA), and was a Visually Impaired/Deaf & Hard of Hearing Instructor in Los Angeles. Juried Awards:Second Place: “Sacred Cairn” - 2020 Westminster Presbyterian Church Art Festival,
Portage, MI Best in Show: “Spring Leaf” - 2020 KVCC Alumni+ Art Show, Center for New Media 2nd Place: “Martini on the Rocks” - NorthWind Fine Arts Gallery’s Annual Juried Show 2nd Place: “Door Series #2: Red Portal” - Chroma 2019 Pastel Society of Colorado Show 2nd Place: “H.O.M.E.S.” - 2019 KVCC Alumni+ Art Show, Center for New Media Honorable Mention: “Martini on the Rocks” - Pastel 100 Competition, Pastel Journal,
April 2019 issue People’s Choice & Committee Prize: “H.O.M.E.S.” - 2018 Westminster Presbyterian Church
Art Festival, Portage, MI First Place: “Autumn Leaves” - 2017 Westminster Presbyterian Church Art Festival, Portage, MI You can visit Tracy's website to view more of her work here.