Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to The Tracy Piper. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
The Tracy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Finding your true life’s purpose comes from melding your passions with positive impacts on the world and your local community. I’ve been a full-time artist for 11 years, and I have always considered myself to be a ‘painter for everyone.’ Each work is a deep dive into the true beauty of what it means to be alive.
A project that has stood out the most is “SEEN.” This ongoing series provides a platform for those who have ever felt alone or unseen. The concept involves me creating 50 mini-eye paintings each year. This inclusive project costs nothing to participate, just a photo of your eye and sharing what feeling “seen” means to you.
From this idea, I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many people from all walks of life. Each answer to this question has been unique and no painting has ever been the same. It’s an intimate question, yet when you zoom out, you realize that many of us are just looking for others to see us too. This community arts project has been published twice with Voss Gallery in San Francisco, CA. We’re looking forward to announcing the third iteration of the project in early 2024.
The Tracy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi! I’m The Tracy Piper, I’m a female-identifying, contemporary painter, muralist, author, art activist––and mom! I’ve been creating vibrant, rainbow-hued paintings since 2011 with an emphasis on community and inclusivity. I believe that art should be for everyone. I’m widely-recognized for my figurative and portrait paintings on canvas, but I also paint murals, create interactive projects, and host art related events! My work has exhibited internationally and I’ve even been featured on the television show “Skin Wars: Fresh Paint.” My artistic goal is to make work that inspires us all to believe we are worthy of being painted. It’s truly a beautiful thing to see yourself represented on canvas, and something you should experience at least once in your life!
You can find my work online at www.thetracypiper.com and I spend most of my time either painting in my studio or spending too much time on instagram creating fun reels (@thetracypiper). Stay tuned for my upcoming exhibitions and projects––and since the question always arises, I’m happy to paint commissioned portraits (but only ten each year).
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
There have been many instances in my career where I’ve made decisions that felt opposite of what the rest of the art world was doing, but one monumental decision comes to mind. My art career was humming along nicely until 2015, when my partner and I decided to grow our family by one more. Very quickly, I was let-go by the galleries representing me at that time as no one thought I would pivot back to the art world after deciding to have a kid. And honestly and unfortunately, the statistics are on their side. So many women lose themselves to motherhood for so many reasons, but mainly because we are extremely tired of wearing too many hats.
But I have to say my decision to get back to my art career was ABSOLUTELY the right one for me. After having my kid, my work actually became much more focused and I really started asking myself what kind of world I wanted to leave behind. These questions helped me find the true purpose of why I want to do the work that I do. I’ve found that although my time in the studio is much shorter, my capacity to love everyone, share my story, and create beautiful paintings that last beyond ourselves has grown exponentially. It was the absolute right decision for me––I would not be the artist I am today without this singular decision to become a mom.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Society by and large needs to start really investing in caring for our community as a whole. We cannot create in a vacuum, and the true isolation of capitalism has done so much damage to the delicate ecosystem of creativity in the local arts community. I encourage you to explore what sets your heart on fire, what makes you giggle, and what makes you truly FEEL. There are enough brand name merchandise out there… find that small business and local artists to support and pay it forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thetracypiper.com
- Instagram: @thetracypiper
- Facebook: @thetracypiper
- Twitter: @thetracypiper