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Recently, I had a question asked of me that had me thinking about some misconceptions concerning what I do. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to consider those misconceptions and unpack the myths around my art career. MISCONCEPTIONS: 1. Not a hobby The question - do I sell my artwork? Yes, I do. I love sending my works of art off to a new home and I am absolutely thrilled when someone connects to a painting. Since I have retired from teaching, it is easy to see why some may think I’m a retiree who is doing art as a hobby and each work is too precious to turn loose. There’s nothing wrong with doing art as a hobby and there are a few pieces I'll never let go of; however, art is my profession.  2. No work and all play Some may think that doing art is all play. Don’t get me wrong. There’s definitely play that takes place, but there’s also work like meeting deadlines, marketing, packaging, and moving art to different locations. 3. Only work when inspired I keep a pretty consistent work schedule. I show up in the studio five days a week whether I’m feeling inspired or not. I’m a believer in Picasso’s quote, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”  4. Lettering - Ugh! I can draw and I can paint, but that does not mean I can or want to do hand lettering. When you see paintings in which I do incorporate lettering, it’s my own script which is far less impressive than the beautiful hand lettering done by others. 5. No pet portraits There are tons of great artists who do great pet portraits. I’d love to connect you with one of them. Check out these two artists whom I personally know both with unique styles. Karin Thompson https://www.karinthompsonartist.com/pet-portraits Kim Valentine of Valentine Fine Art https://www.valentinefineart.com/collections/192790 6. I don’t do people (portraits) I don’t do people, well portraits that is. In the same way pet portraits are not my thing, neither are portraits of people. There are many awesome portrait painters out there. One in particular is my studio neighbor H. Rivers https://hannah-rivers.square.site/ 7. I don’t teach art classes I'm in no hurry to return to teaching; although, I do make a few exceptions. I have led creative sessions at women’s events like Zoweh’s Deepening Weekend https://www.zoweh.org/the-deepening-weekend-event-information These types of events are my favorite. I love being able to encourage women through creativity. We’re all creatives, after all. If you have a group who would be interested in a creative session, please feel free to reach out to me.  This list of misconceptions will change from time to time becoming longer or shorter with some things being removed all together. I’m sure I’ll elaborate more on these misconceptions sometime in the future, but these are the main ones in a nutshell.
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If you were to compare my studio to others, you might think it is rather neat and even organized, but I have a secret that I rarely mention. When I’m collaging, there’s much more going on behind the studio door. Collage Messiness…or Trashness. I know that is not even a word, but it sounds really appropriate when it comes to describing one of the dirty parts of being a collage artist.
While working on a recent mixed media painting that combined both paint and collaged paper, I noticed I was surrounded by ripped pieces of paper scattered all around the floor. Yes, I thought I should get the trashcan and place it right next to me. I almost did that very thing even to the point of acknowledging it would make my clean up so much easier; however, I was in the flow of creating and didn’t want to stop, so I kept tearing, gluing, and dropping the leftovers onto the floor. You may be wondering, couldn't I create in the same way by using just paint. It certainly would make less of a mess, but to answer the question it’s a yes and a no. I can definitely create with paint alone, but there’s an effect of piecing together different types of paper that can’t be accomplished by solely using paint. It’s almost like solving a mystery or puzzle and it often gives an impressionistic effect. The mess, the stickiness, and the clean up make the choice to collage all worthwhile.  "Refuge" - mixed media It all started in 2016 with a mini canvas, a page from an old Bible, and left over paint on a palette. Almost eight years later what started with a mixed media painting turned into a series of paintings inspired by Psalm 91:4 “...Under His wings you will find refuge….” When I was creating a mini work of art titled Refuge in 2016, I decided to use a new “to me” medium, Liquitex Acrylic ink. I wanted to use the ink for a feather element in a painting. With the medium being new, I poured out way too much on my palette. I had already painted one feather, so I decided to use the rest of the acrylic ink for another feather. This feather would be a little different.
Fast forward to 2023, I was preparing for Zoweh’s The Deepening Weekend, a weekend away where women explore how we are made to flourish in the kingdom of God, the things that come against us, and restoration. I couldn’t help but think of the 2016 “Beneath” feather and how it would be a wonderful reminder and keepsake. The feather paintings I made in 2023 were very similar to the original except I added collage papers to the feather. While creating each feather, I listened for just the right words to add to each feather.
Over the last few months, I started back creating feathers. These new feather paintings are representational in style and are on a deckled edge paper that looks beautiful in a floater frame. The medium hasn’t changed and each feather is still interlaced with different words or phrases. There is one word, however, that I include on every feather painting and that word is “refuge.” I include “refuge” to serve as a reminder of whom to take refuge in when under attack.
If you are interested in a “Beneath” feather painting, framed originals are available in special collections as well as fine art prints of the feathers created for The Deepening Weekend. Also, there is a current giveaway (US addresses only) for one of the “Beneath” fine art prints. The winner gets to choose from the available stock in the studio. All Subscribers, old and new, are entered into the giveaway. If you want in and if you want to stay in the know, please subscribe to the newsletter. The drawing for the print is Friday, June 7, 2024. Make sure to subscribe before 8 PM. Good Luck!  Recently, I shared a painting in progress photo on social media in which I said that I thought I knew where the piece was going; however, the background or initial layers had me rethinking things and my intentions for the painting. You may be wondering what goes into the painting process, in particular, the decision making process. It’s not as easy as you may think or at least, not every time. There’s decisions about color, composition, and line that have to be made. You have to pull out everything you’ve ever learned along with all the skills, tricks, and tools. Of course, you have to determine what to use and what not to use and that applies to all of the above, not just the tools. With all these things taken into consideration, you still need to leave room for exploration. It’s a dance of back and forth and listening to what the painting says.  In the case of this painting, I had several resource photos, but none were the exact composition I wanted. I’d have to do some tweaking which is not unusual, but I did have a plan for what I wanted. I’m sure you know the quote,” the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry” and that was so very true for my plans. For starters, I unexpectedly fell in love with the softness of the background and focal point on the horizon. Adding the cabana with its hard lines felt like too much of a stark contrast with the lightness and softness of the background. I experimented with adding the cabana with paint, but stopped myself before getting too far. I added cut paper to mimic the structure. Removing taped on paper is a lot easier than removing paint. Being at odds with what I thought this painting would be and how the background appealed to me, I hit pause at leasts until the next day. I needed time to consider what it was that first captured my eye and my heart to me from this moment in time. It was the stillness and quietness of the fog as well as the egret gliding across the scene until it came to perch on top of the cabana. It wasn’t the cabana itself. The background I had fallen in love with depicted that feeling of peace much more than the cabana ever would. Problem solved. No cabana, but then that meant removing the paint that had been applied and adding the background color where it was needed.
Once the structure was removed, there were other things to consider such as how much detail to add to the foreground. I went back and forth with this as well. I wanted some detail while keeping the simplicity of the initial layer.
Meet "Ghost in the Mist." I'm still little torn between the two versions above. The differences are subtle, but they are there nonetheless. What do you think? Do you see the differences? Let me know in the comments which one of the two you prefer.
Ever wondered what the artist life is really like? It's a lot more than slinging paint. It's about marketing, networking, moving paintings, content creation, inventory, . . . . The list goes on and on. Take a peek below to get an idea. I don't like to do seven days a week. I like to keep it at five, but this week was an exception. And on another note, I'm only listing the three "big" things for each day that I need to get done, but in reality there's much more.  Canvases come in many shapes and sizes. That was certainly true when turning a former small office into an art studio for two. This type of transformation became available when I decided to take the last available space with the Arts Council of Wayne County in their Goldsboro studios.. The last studio was the smallest and boy, did it need to be updated! BEFOREIN PROCESSWith no natural light whatsoever and with the space being so small, I set out to brighten things up and in hopes of making things appear larger. Wall color is Elder White and the woodwork is Ultra White. Yeah, yeah, yeah, white is white, but there is subtle difference. During the transformation phase, I asked my artist daughter, Alyssa, if she would like to use the studio on the days I'm not there. She said yes. Did you see the desk design in the slide show above? That was all her idea along with the Ottlite lighting Purchased from Joann's. The new lights have been an awesome improvement. We couldn't have done any of this without Gary's help. He had a serious "honey do" list going for this project from priming, painting, building, staining, and lots of things in between. AFTERHow do we share such a small space? One side of the desk is Alyssa's whereas the other side is for me and we share the bridge in the middle. Since we have different studio days, there's only one chair.
There was no way the small studio could take the place of my larger studio in Kinston at the Community Council for the Arts; however, it certainly has been a fantastic space for smaller works and to save driving to Kinston at least one day a week. as well as providing a way to be back in my old stomping grounds. So let me know in the comments what you think of this small space studio transformation.  One of a kind earrings! That is what’s new in the studio. I started working on casting resin earrings with my unique abstract expressive paintings and Gelli print papers back in December. The paintings are often a result of play and experimentation with paint and mark makings. When I'm experimenting, some of the mediums, I use are acrylic paint, acrylic ink, and Stabilo Woody Pencils or some other dry medium. Sometimes when these paintings are finished, the paper can look like quite a mess. Next, each pair of earrings is hand cut, usually with an Xacto knife. When the earring shapes are cut out, they look like miniature works of art. No two pairs of earrings are ever alike.  Having never used resin before, I found it to be somewhat of a mystery. After multiple attempts with some successes and some failures, here’s ten important things I’ve learned:
For the most part, I learn something new almost every time I cast resin. I think part of it will always remain a little mysterious to me. With that being said, there are no plans to give up painting in order to become a jewelry artisan. It has been, as I’m sure it will continue to be, a wonderfully creative alternative when I need a break from the canvas.
Ready to see my creative contributions to the Connections show? I have 35 works of art in the show and some are being shared online for the very first time here...,well...almost all 35 pieces, there's one exception that I can't show yet because it's a surprise for someone. Shh.... See something you'd like? I can put you in touch with the curator of the show. Connections will run through January 2, 2023. You can see all of the pieces in person by visiting Mims Gallery in Rocky Mount. A Christmas pick up date (Dec. 15th) is available if there's something you'd like to give as a gift.
I don’t want to give too much away concerning the upcoming show, but I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at some of the dominant colors. I wasn’t surprised with some of the colors, but I have to admit a few were truly unexpected. As I moved from one piece to the next, a few surprising color trends certainly developed. Although I’m not yet sharing the completed pieces, I hope the colors give you an idea of what to expect.
 I didn’t see these colors coming especially that Kelly Green. Who knew!
Cool and warm gray, both unexpected, were present in many paintings along with off whites, ivory and cream!
Finally, here’s three of the palettes I’ve used over the course of the last few months. As I said, this is just a peek of what to expect. There will be 70 works of art in the show. The exhibition, Connections, by Kim Valentine and me will be showing at Mims Gallery at The Dunn Center on the campus of Wesleyan University in Rocky Mount. Our show opens on November 3, 5 PM - 7 PM, and runs through January 2. Mims Gallery is open Monday - Friday, 10 AM - 5 PM and during all performances held at The Dunn Center.
Coming up this November, artist Kim Valentine and I will have an exhibition of our artwork at The Mims Gallery located in The Dunn Center on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan University in Rocky Mount, NC. For this upcoming show, Kim and I decided on the theme of Connections. Much of our existing work already examines the many aspects and importance of connections. With time drawing near, concentrating on the theme has become even more important for me. In order to stay focused and to really start streamlining my focus, I decided to create a mood/theme board on connections and what it means to me.  I started by writing a definition of sorts for “connections” and why it’s important. Next, I zeroed in on key words and phrases that really spoke to me or seemed more powerful with what I want to convey. Next, I searched through magazines and snapshots for visuals that symbolized and/or related to my ideas. In doing this, I was also looking for common threads between the images. Finally, I considered the colors. Asking myself, how do I see color in regard to connections. What are those colors? So far, I’ve added green, blue (Prussian blue to be exact,) and golds. Why these colors? I’m thinking of green for its lushness and growth much like a well cultivated garden. Blue comes to mind because of its symbolism to deep wells and life giving water. Last and certainly not least, I’ve included golds because of its warmth and energy. Will my mood/theme board change as I continue to work on pieces for the Connections show? My goodness, I hope so. I have to believe that as I continue creating, more will be added as things inspire me and as I refine my focal point even more. I’ve left plenty of open space on the board and in my mind to do just that. |
Tracey PenrodI'm an artist working in acrylic and mixed media. I love looking for the seen and the unseen by exploring matters of the heart. My one of a kind works of art are in the style of expressionism, representational art, and inspirational art. All of my works of art share in the qualities of redemptive art. Be "in the know" by subscribing to the mailing list. By signing up, you'll be first to hear all the latest updates!
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