Artist, Painter | Medium: Oil | Read Artist Bio

Artist Bio:

Born in California and raised in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, Tracie has enjoyed drawing and painting since early childhood. She began painting in oils at the age of 13, encouraged and supported by her parents and grandmother. She continued to paint throughout high school and beyond, focusing on art while attending the University of Montana. Her early work reflected her love of nature, consisting mostly of western landscapes and pet portraits.

In 2009 Tracie discovered the importance of working from life when she began painting en plein air. Painting in this way has taught her how to capture color, light and values more accurately. Tracie often uses her plein air sketches in addition to her photography as the foundation for her studio pieces. Using a layered approach, she combines strong color and palette knife application to bring life to her contemporary florals, birds and wildlife paintings.