We were lucky to catch up with Tracy Richardson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tracy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Taking a risk..

In the early 1990’s, I used to hang out at a restaurant in Houston,TX called “8.0”. There hung a humongous painting of a blindfolded man jogging off a cliff and it has stayed with me all these years. The painting of the blind folded runner is exactly how it feels to take risks for me. Vulnerable, headed in a certain direction, using their imagination and trusting what cannot be seen ahead.

For me, the risk to be seen and letting others in on the journey, letting go of what others think has been a long process and I struggle at times because I do care what others think and feel. But as I identify as the runner in the painting, committed to the path, I have to trust my intuition and take necessary risks to propel my self and work forward at a pace that works for me.

Tracy, 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 am an Abstract Painter, FAA certified UAS, Drone pilot and part time dog nanny. My art career began back in 1990 as I pursued a degree in Fine Art at Houston Community College in Downtown Houston, Texas. My studio hours are in ceramics, printmaking, welding as an art form and sculpture.

It was during the pandemic that I became interested in flying drones. I was looking at pictures of houses on Zillow and wanted to take drone photos to make a passive income shooting property for real estate agencies. After researching how to become a drone photographer, I learned that in order to make an income you have to take the FAA UAS Airman’s Test. After getting my license, I began practicing flying the drone in the mountains of Angeles National Forest.

After flying my drone for about a year, a neighbor suggested I use it in my artwork and after thinking of how I could incorporate my drone into my painting, it occurred that I could fasten my paintbrushes to the bottom of one of my drones. In order to do this I needed to alter my brushes so they could hang far enough away from the drone to avoid setting off the sensors, that could prevent the drone from moving in any direction if it senses an object around it, it wont fly. So I fastened a long leather cord, attached a carabiner at the end, cut shorter pieces and duct taped them to the sides with a little loop on the end so they can hang from my drone.

Some of my paintbrushes have tree branches attached, making them longer and stiffer, each brush having its own character and articulation on the paper, making either thick fat marks or skinny marks depending on the brush size I use. While using the drone to paint using my remote control, I use the camera on the drone to film the process from the drones perspective.

Recently, I bought a new drone and use it to document the process of painting with the other drone. It has a smart controller that allows me to use its display to fly, focus the camera and place it exactly where I want it before I begin flying and painting with the other drone.

There is a method to this madness and I enjoy the process. The drones are like my assistants and I have named them after 2 of my favorite female artists, Louise Nevelson and Louise Bourgeois.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Is there a particular goal or mission driving my creativity journey?

I am compelled by the concept and nature of time, to keep making art and pushing my own boundaries to stay fresh with a desire to be satisfied with my work and add something useful to the art world.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

How have I had to pivot in business, career, life?

I have lots of experience of pivoting direction in my life. I have changed careers several times due to the personal need for something better, different, challenging and or satisfying. I think change is good (not always easy) and helps me be resilient in life when unexpected changes have occurred, for example and most recent is COVID lockdown. I think collectively we all had to change something whether we wanted to or not and although uncomfortable, was necessary for us as a species to evolve.

When the pandemic hit, I was working as a part time dog nanny and hairstylist but due to underlying health issues I had to let go of my clientele to avoid getting sick or infecting anyone else with underlying health issues. I did have my art work to focus on and made several online sales. I then began studying for the FAA UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) to become a drone pilot so that I could work in real estate and provide real estate photos. After a few years flying the drone for photography, I decided to use my drones in my artwork and its inevitable that my work will evolve in another direction at some point in time and I am optimistic for those changes ahead.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tracyrstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyrstudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trstudi0/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@tracyrstudio?si=biX5NG1d99djdC3R

Image Credits
All photos were taken by me via drone.