We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tra` Slaughter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tra` below.
Alright, Tra` thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I feel I learned the most about what I do now buy trial-and-error. When I first started creating art, I was scared of new mediums. I only painted with watercolours in high school and quit for several years after that. When I picked painting back up, acrylics were what were available, so I picked those up and used them similarly to the watercolour. It wasn’t until I got my first actual studio in a building with other artists that I began to branch out with mediums. I owe a lot of that to a neighbour I had. He made me realise that you can’t be scared of creating and there’s nothing scary about making work with something out of the ordinary. And now, my work consists of many things coming together as one – canvas, paper, oil, oil bar, acrylic, latex, coffee and whatever else happens to be around at the moment. I also work in multiple styles – painting, sculpture, writing and I strive to bring all of that together into one collection of work. Sometimes, however, certain creative ideas need to be expressed via only painting, or a sculpture comprised of found objects or a piece with a light feature and I cannot force myself to apply blinders and stick with just one way of making work. I know that professionally, that can be looked at as unfocused, or an artist that has not yet matured enough to find a way of making one way of doing things new over and over again. I have to be ok with that, as the trade-off would be me stifling myself and then creating would no longer present itself in a joyful manner. I am also drawn to art that is made by other artists in the same or similar fashion that I work in. I enjoy work that the viewer can come back to multiple times and see something new or have a new feeling come up. I don’t know that speeding up the process would necessarily be a good thing. I think things that are the most successful and ultimately become the best result of work happen when they are supposed to. I feel that trying to force things by applying pressure to speed up creates anxiety and obligation and that takes away from the essence of making art.
Tra`, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I moved to Houston in 2000 to attend the Art Institute of Houston seeking degree in Graphic Design. The first year of classes include several painting, drawing and theory classes and in some of these classes, fellow students started offering to purchase my assignments. This was really the first time I had sold work, and it was a great feeling. I graduated and worked in the field for several years. In 2012, I had a daughter and made the decision to be a stay at home dad in hopes that it would afford me more time to focus on painting – which a I had loosely kept up with after graduating. Since then, I’ve been creating and selling work consistently. In 2016, I began painting murals and have completed over 30 in and around the Houston area. I feel that working in many different styles and mediums allows me to offer a more versatile array of options to clients which in turns makes my work appealing to a larger audience. No matter the project, I put all of my creative juices and every bit of my talent and experience into the work. From a portrait of a loved one to a large abstract expressionist piece, I am to meet the clients needs to the most precise detail.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I would have sought out a mentor early, or even later in my career. I’ve had a number of artist friends that I can rely on for answers and support, but a single individual that I could have modelled my career path after would have been a very wise decision.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My ultimate goal is to leave a legacy for my daughter while still having the freedom to create what I want. I’d love someday to walk into a famous museum with her and see my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.traslaughter.com
- Instagram: @artist_traslaughter
- Facebook: Facebook.com/slaughterfineart
Image Credits
photo of artist: Charles Holt photos of artwork: Morris Malakoff