Posts
Soaring to Success
Interviews of Artists, Writers and Photographers
Their work, creative spaces and techniques
Interview with Virginia Artist:
Tracy MacDonald
1. Tracy, please introduce yourself and describe what you do, what’s your passion? I'm not sure how you juggle all of it.. being a wife, mother, go to your day job and tackle your artwork! But, if you're like me, the artwork keeps you happy, content and fulfilled..and that allows you to be an even better wife, mother, employee, and it's all "better for yourself"!
Hi, Joan! Thank you
for celebrating fellow artists and this opportunity to be interviewed on Making Waves “ Soaring to Success!” I’m
Tracy MacDonald, and live in Woodbridge, Virginia, south of Washington, D.C in
the U.S.
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| Tracy MacDonald |
2. When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
About age 9, I
received my first “diary” from my mother, who encouraged me to write. It was a
small, cobalt-blue journal with flowers on the cover, gilded pages, and a brass
lock and key. This new journal felt instantly important, and a little fancy and
sacred, all at once. I still get that feeling when I discover a new blank book
that I love. It became a passion when I lived overseas to find journals that
spoke to me in markets, boutiques, and museum shops… and they’re all little
pieces of art that I treasure. I’m
better some years than others about recording thoughts, but I have shelves of
beautiful journals filled with writing, sketches, ephemera, and the occasional
grocery list or random phone number, as there is always a journal stashed in my
purse!
In childhood, I
loved exploring with paint, glue, bits of nature, and “secret ingredients.” I
called my art “potion-making,” which sometimes involved nail polish, water,
flour, my mother’s make-up, bath oil; whatever I could find-to the chagrin of
my parents. And my rectangular Vivitar 110 camera in the 80’s went with
me everywhere. I saved my allowance to develop many cartridges of film.
Most of my adult
life, art had become a “side” project, but reconnecting with my artist friend,
Gail, while on a business trip a few years ago really got me back into
creating. She encouraged me to have an “art mail” exchange with her, which
became a fountain of inspiration, as there were no rules, except to PLAY! . I
found the creative process so therapeutic, I couldn’t not do it. I would race home from work at five to slap some gesso
down on a manila envelope, and the next thing I knew, at 11pm, my hands were
covered in paint, ink, and glue, the envelope was a finished collage, and I had
skipped dinner! I felt alive and knew I
was on to something good.
You can’t believe
what the US Postal Service will accept to send. I’ve mailed collaged soup cans,
tea boxes, shoe boxes, cosmetic bags… I had no idea they would take these kinds
of things. (Here is a picture of an unaddressed “Mail Art” envelope, below).
3. What are your fears? How have you faced them? Or
your plans of how you plan to tackle your fears.
Only recently have I
started to “put myself out there,” in the form of a blog I created as a result
of Kelly Rae Roberts’ Flying Lessons
E-Course, where we met! It’s exciting to
have this long-term goal come to fruition, but I do feel vulnerable and exposed
by sharing my personal thoughts and images. I’m still finding my voice in my
posts. It can be overwhelming, and a bit defeating, to see the abundance of
talent out there, so lately, I have tried to keep the art-blog surfing to a
minimum.
I keep the fears at
bay through positive affirmations, posting more often, and staying connected
with fellow artists and creatives. And
art retreats! I’m so excited to attend my very first one this April, the Art and Soul 2013 Retreat (http://www.artandsoulretreat.com),
where I am ecstatic to take workshops with recognized mixed-media artists Misty
Mawn and Lisa Kaus, and photographer Catherine Anderson.
4. What makes you different...unique from others?
I am fortunate that
my family loves the arts and travel. This gave me an appreciation of aesthetics
and a wanderlust at an early age. Daily, I seek beauty around me, and enjoy
finding new patterns in nature, architectural details, the colors of textiles,
or even the way fruit is displayed at the grocery store. I try to incorporate
these elements into my photos and collages.
I would love
readers’ feedback on my new blog, starrysojourn.com (Starry is my “artist” nickname). Please join
me on this new adventure! Customizing
the colors and creating the banner has been so satisfying- almost like
decorating a room, but a virtual one!
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| "Dream Girls" Collages on Mini-Canvases |
| Series of Note Cards with collages of my own images |
5. Any secrets to reveal about the tools you use or
your techniques? Tips or tricks? What makes your art (stories, photos) special?
Are your supplies unusual?
When I need to feel
centered and “get into the flow” before I begin writing or an art project, I do
one of many things, depending on my mood that day. Perhaps it’s classical music and cooking to
start the creative juices flowing, or perusing art and travel magazines,
visiting markets and bookstores, a quick nature walk, lighting candles, yoga, or
having tea.
It’s fun discovering
new supplies. Little spice bags and loose tea bags work well as pockets on
collages. Sometimes I insert a few pieces of sea glass, a small shell, dried
flower petals, or a leaf on which I’ve written a message with a gold paint
pen. I use ink stamps on coffee filters
sometimes.
Tree bark can be
peeled apart, wet and flattened and dried for a great writing surface. Pressing
a real leaf directly onto the ink pad, rolled with a brayer, makes a great
stamp for botanical prints, too. (The
leaf can’t be too dry, or it cracks and breaks off).
6. What are your goals and inspirations? Where will
you hope to be in 2 years? 5 years? 10 years?
My ultimate goal is
to keep creating and ensure art stays a focal point in my life going forward. (And to let go of housework and stop
procrastinating)! Long-term, I would
love for my creative pursuits to be self-sustaining.
I am excited that my
spouse will move us for overseas tours in the coming years. This will bring
opportunities to work with new mediums and use art as a way to connect with the
community, wherever we go. Art is a
wonderful, strong connector!
7. Where is your creative space or studio? (example: At
home in an extra bedroom, kitchen table, a rented space for your craft.)
Mostly, I create in
our loft, where I have the luxury of leaving happy art-chaos everywhere,
without the need to neatly put things away, as this is an area I don’t show to
family and friends visiting us at home!
Sometimes, it’s fun to bring lots of supplies downstairs to our dining
room table over the weekend as a temporary space. I dream of one day having a little tree house
or nook with gorgeous natural light that affords me total solitude and
concentration.
8.How much time do you devote to your work? (Is it at
same time everyday? Are you disciplined to go into your studio at 9:00am every
morning? Or do you wait until you are in a creative mood?)
Currently, I am
working as an associate for a consulting firm (teaching for the military),
which means I have to carve out little windows of time here and there when I
can. At home, when the baby sleeps, I
try to jump right in, even if it’s just browsing photos and collage images to
start a project’s framework. I am a morning person, so on the weekends, my
husband is great about helping make creative time happen for me.
9. What are your “whispers” or callings begging you to
do? (Paint, write a book, sell your items on-line) What made you decide to take
this e-course with Kelly Rae Roberts? What do you want to achieve?
The whispers have
been getting louder this last year, and I kept saying to the universe, “but I
can’t do this now! I have a day job, a house to manage, and a baby!” It seems
with creating a child, I opened all kinds of other creative channels, because
the whispers are almost yelling at times now!
For a long while,
I’ve had an interest in setting up a blog, but didn’t know how or where to
start, which is what drew me to KRR’s e-course (which answered so many of my
questions). Left with no excuses, I set
up a WordPress account a few months
ago and dove in, learning as I go. Blogging has actually been a great way for
me to get out of my head and nourish my soul, so I am grateful for the
timing.
Next steps are to
set up a Etsy or Shopify account and
find the bravery to get my art out there!
I’m also interested in conducting interviews for my blog later on, and
perhaps teach a workshop, or assist in running a course with other
artists.
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| "Dreams and Thoughts" |
10. Do you keep a daily journal or sketchbook, or write
in a diary? These are usually very
interesting and very charming to share- like a peek into the life of an
artist.
I feel better when I
can write daily in my journal. If I have ink on my hand from my leaky fountain
pen, it’s a good day. I’ve also started
an art journal, which is still in the nascent stages.
11. How do you market yourself? How do you plan to get
“the word” out there?? (web-site, blog, etsy, galleries, boutiques, on- line
selling, do you advertise?) Is it working? Are you selling?
I’m not good at this,
but hoping to market myself primarily through the Starrysojourn.com blog, and a shop account in the future. Arts and crafts fairs appeals to me, and
there are several in DC in the Spring, but I have yet to take the plunge of
registering to be a vendor. Approaching local boutiques that feature
local artists is another potential avenue.
12. What type of music (if any) do you listen to when
you create?
I adore silence, and
when the weather is nice and the windows are open, sounds of nature are my
favorite soundtrack ( especially hearing birds, the ocean, trees rustling…). Solo piano, at low volume, helps me to feel
calm and get into the flow sometimes, too.
13. Who is your favorite artist, photographer, author?
... In other words, who do you admire, and look up to?
I am drawn to many
positive, spiritual authors that fuel me creatively. Particularly, right now:
Paul Coelho’s The Alchemist, Marianne
Williamson’s A Woman’s Worth, Shakti
Gawain’s Living in the Light, and
Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. Julia Cameron’s saying, “leap and the net
will appear,” is one of my favorites.
Stampington andCompany’s Artful Blogging magazine is
a source of great inspiration for me. I devour it for the eye candy and to
connect with other artists in this space.
Also, Jamie Ridler Studios “Where Creativity Comes to Life” (http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/) has
podcasts of artist interviews that I’ve really enjoyed lately. Isn’t it
interesting how we can feel a rapport with people we’ve never met, just by
understanding their style and approach?
14. Are you encouraged to follow your creative path by
your family or friends?
My family is
absolutely supportive. Close friends have
been, too, but a few of them don’t quite “get it” when I talk about spending a
whole Saturday on a collage!
15. How do come up with titles for your
work...whether it be paintings, short stories, a novel, or other artwork?
Titles are an
intuitive process for me, and are usually kept fairly simple.
16. Do you work on one project at a time ..or have
several going on at a time?
Oh, my goodness,
there are too many projects to count, all vying for my time. I lovingly touch
them all a little bit as often as I can, which doesn’t lend itself to a lot of
finished products in any short amount of time!
Tracy, thank you for sharing your lovely artwork, dreams, creations, art space and ideas! You are such an inspiration for the "artist" in all of us. I wish you the very best in your journey. It was a pleasure to get to know you! Joan
I owned an art
school in Charlotte, NC for 18 years before moving to Jacksonville, FL., so it
thrills me when a classroom full of students, given one assignment, produces
such a variety of ideas. ...We are all unique, we are all special. We all have
a different path, a different way of approaching our art. That is exactly why I
want to do these interviews, to celebrate what makes us, US! Thank you for
participating : )
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