ARTIST STATEMENT
My art practice rotates in series in no particular order. I work on multiple canvases at one time. The most notable continuum are my figurative narrations which began while in my early 20’s. Depictions of people interacting with their surroundings or another person. These stories are abstractions pulled from memory of my own experiences or current situations. At times my inspiration comes from strangers, a friend, or a family member. The satire, finding humor in others but mostly in myself. I work in oils, acrylics, charcoal and graphite. My substrate is canvas, panel, or paper. The fan brush is my most used tool.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
As a native of rural Missouri, Tracy’s artistic roots grew from a family of craftsmen and artisans. She is a seasoned interdisciplinary artist with a focus on painting. After receiving her B.F.A. in painting and drawing from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, Tracy attended The Art Institute of Chicago where she completed the Post Baccalaureate certificate program. In Chicago she completed her first private, public art project for the St. Louis Metro Link station, which she completed in 1993. During this time she began exhibiting her paintings and started a decorative arts service business called Studi-O (now TOHArts). She completed projects for The John G. Shedd Aquarium, The University of Pennsylvania, Jelly Belly Candy Co., Warner Brothers, The Cliff-dweller’s Club, Art and Soul restaurant-Washington D.C., The Garfield Park Conservatory, and Ralph Lauren. She has received a Chicago Arts Assistance Program grant award. She currently exhibits her work at Alma Arts and Interiors in the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago. In 2017 she completed a tree for Chicago Sculpture International and The Chicago Tree Project. Her paintings are representational and most associated with representing an every-day genre, from exploring the mundane aspects of daily life to the extraordinary events that we all can identify with. Her work is collected by private collectors nationally and internationally in corporate and public spaces. Tracy lives and works in Chicago’s E. Garfield park neighborhood in the Carroll Avenue Arts District with her husband and two children.
© Tracy Ostmann-Haschke