Friday, March 29, 2024

An Interview with Tracey Penrod

Where are you from and why did you choose to live in eastern North Carolina?

Having been born and raised in a one stoplight town in Wayne County, I am a native of Eastern North Carolina. Today, I reside on family farm land just outside of that same small town. I’m  surrounded by many of the scenes and ideas of community and story that find their way into my works of art. 

Do you have any formal artistic training, or are you self-taught?

I am a little bit of both.  I do have some formal artistic training as well as being self-taught.  My post-secondary education has included study in Fine Arts as well as commercial art and advertising design at both Wayne Community College and Johnston Community College. Between those two courses of study, I have had a variety of classes from Art History to drawing, to Portfolio Review. In addition to the formal instruction, I feel that I will always be a lifelong learner as I continue to explore and play with new mediums as well as pushing myself with the mediums in which I’m more familiar.  

Is there a central theme to your work, or several themes?

In some of my works of art, the piece itself may only imply a theme which allows room for the viewer to arrive at his or her own conclusion. In other works, a theme could be explicitly stated. When painting, I explore matters of the heart which may mean celebrating the things easily seen as well as the simple things and moments that may be less noticeable.  These matters of the heart encompasses memories, community, and even the elements of  story. Within the theme, I hope to also convey encouragement through my paintings’ redemptive qualities, the use of ephemeral, and even the colors.  

You do a lot of mixed media work, do you have a favorite specific medium?

I love working with paper and acrylic paint. The paper is cut and collaged onto the canvas which I then paint to make one cohesive image. When using patterned paper, some of which I print myself, I select patterns and colors that complement or convey the subject matter often in a surprising way, leaving just enough peeking out from beneath the paint.   I guess it’s somewhat like a puzzle for me. Challenging and fun to find the pieces and parts that fit together to create the image I have in mind. 

You were a school teacher and commercial artist professionally, do you see a relationship between those careers and the art you’re making now?  

I never actually worked professionally as a commercial artist, but I have definitely carried those skills and my eye for a message or story into my career as an artist. At the end of  the 2020-2021 school year, I retired from the public school classroom with 21 years of teaching so that I could work full time as a professional artist. Anyone (students, parents, custodians, teachers, admin…etc.) who is connected to school knows that it’s a tough job and this past year with Covid it was the absolute hardest school year. I had reached a point where I wanted to put more hours into art making, but that was impossible to do as long as I continued teaching. I often say that I moved from a striving teacher to a thriving artist. Just because I retired from teaching, in no way means that my time in the classroom is not a part of my art. Teaching is reflected in my art and art making process. Ironically, when I settled down into my teaching career, I did not teach art. Instead of following my creative gifting, the practical side of me won out and I followed my other love of history and reading. For nearly my entire teaching career, I taught English Language Arts in the middle school setting. In many of my works of art, you can see the influence of words and history through the use of layering old printed pages, old photos, and handwritten letters and notes that I’ve come across at flea markets. One of my favorite ways to create is by using someone’s own memorabilia to layer into a personal piece of art for them. By adding their own meaningful tokens which could be anything from old ticket stubs, love letters, favorite quotes, or Bible verses, the owner has a deeper connection to the piece of art. One of the best things is that I can incorporate the actual memento or a copy so that the original is returned undamaged. 

Is there an artist in your field or any other whose work inspires you or you admire?  

I love the abstracted landscapes of UK artist Louise Fletcher and her process of mark making, her fearless experimentation, and especially her encouragement to step out of your comfort zone. During the Covid lockdown, I took an online course from Louise. I came out of the course with new skills and new tools to fill the artist toolbox. The new tools are not the typical art tools. Fondant tools are now one of my favorite things to use in creating. You don’t have to go to an art supply store for all your tools of the trade.  

Is there a specific award, exhibition, or piece you are especially proud of, and why?

“Beloved Daughters” is definitely one of my favorite pieces.  Although it’s not the first piece to be juried into a show, it is one of my earlier pieces which was created in 2015 and then selected for 2015 The Soul of a Woman Show in Morehead City.  My style has certainly evolved since then, but the theme of redemptive community, sisterhood, support, and encouragement are still present in my work. Additionally, “Beloved Daughters” was a milestone in that it taught me so much about patience and process.  The work began in an intuitive manner and then sat in the corner of my studio nowhere close to finished. It was months before I went back to it. Without a doubt, it taught me that it’s okay to let things rest as well as it’s okay to push in order to bring subjects on the canvas into being.  

In one sentence, what is art to you?

For me, art is exploring the matters that move the heart.   

Do you have any advice for artists starting out or want to get into the arts?

Be intentional with your art making.  Don’t be afraid to “wreck it” because that’s how we learn and grow. 

I know you’ll be having an exhibition in the Director’s Gallery at Bank of the Arts in August, but where else can people find your work?  

Currently, I have pieces  in The Art Market at 203 E Walnut St, Goldsboro, NC.  You can also find available artwork by visiting me in studio 3 at 102 N. John St. Goldsboro. Additionally, you can stay up to date and view my work at www.traceypenrodart.com as well as connecting with me, Tracey Penrod Art, on facebook and Instagram

By Jonathan Burger, Craven Arts Council & Gallery, Inc.

Craven Arts Council & Gallery, Inc. | 317 Middle Street | New Bern, NC | www.cravenarts.org | 252.638.2577

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