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Art Painting by Tracy Whitbread
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In my work I strive continuously to give form to internally felt shapes, colours and moods - the colours often being those of the environment around me - the iron red of the earth or the changing blues of the sea. I am particularly inspired by the coastline, the sea, and being in the sea too. It is where I most strongly feel a sense of Spirit curving into matter - where the sublime permeates the elements.I enjoy the interplay between the natural world and the manmade, the chaotic with the ordered. In my painting process I am often preoccupied with working from a chaotic layered base then eliminating details to create clarity and space. I also feel a very physical relationship with the canvas - the texture of the surface and the sensuality of the paint, as if I am working with a living thing.My approach is very organic and even though I have some idea of what I want to achieve, it all happens through the process of working in relationship with the materials on the canvas. I now feel that this is the only way I can achieve my truest expression - that of allowing the convergence of my inner landscapes with outer forms and my dialogue with the realms of Spirit and Form.After leaving High School in 1978, I trained as a Graphic Designer and spent many years in the packaging industry, working on both drawing boards and computers. I gained a management qualification and organised a busy Graphics department. I also trained in Ghent, Belgium on the latest computerised packaging graphics technology, and won several awards for my ‘Design for Print’ designs. After becoming interested in Counselling and holistic healing, I had a change of career in 1992 and studied Art Therapy at Sheffield University. After gaining my post graduate diploma I worked as a part-time Art Therapist in Mental Health hospitals and day centres in East Yorkshire. I also organised creative workshops for Special needs groups in colleges and schools. In 1995 I travelled to Canada and eventually settled in Calgary in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I stayed in Canada for one and a half years and during this time regularly exhibited paintings and other pieces of work. Upon my return to the UK I took part-time work in Graphics and the rest of the time I spent painting and exhibiting. At the end of November 2000 I moved to Devon to concentrate more on painting, and to live a life that brought me more into contact with nature. I also began work as an Art Therapist at a local rehabilitation centre for addictions.
