Davies Tracy Painters

Article by Erika Glasberg
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February 14, 2012

Multi-media artist Tracy Davies enjoys using acrylic paint, along with a number of other items that she has around her, to create unique pieces of art.

Tracy Davies has had her hands on pencils and paint since she was a little
girl, but after taking a break to pursue nursing, she quickly found that art was at the top of her priority list.

Davies is a mixed media painter. She uses acrylic paint, as well as a number of other items, from pins to string, to add to her abstract art.

"I find that I like to add a little bit more flare with colours and I use my hands a lot rather than brushes" she explained.

"I'll add washers, beads, anything really and I make it work together."

When Davies was a child, she remembers enjoying the art of drawing. Because she didn't know too much about it, she stuck to drawing still life images.

She recalled a time in her Timmins elementary school when her
neighbour - who also indulged in art - would visit the school that Davies attended. Her neighbour would walk up and down the halls admiring the nameless paintings and drawings created by the students that were lined up on the walls outside the classrooms to judge the art.

"Month after month I'd win and I would wonder if I'm winning because she knows I'm her neighbour or that I'm actually really good at this?" she said.

When Davies was older, art remained a constant figure in her life until she attended college to complete her nursing degree.

"I studied nursing in college and really got away from it." she said.

After a while, she couldn't go any longer with the lack of colour in her life, so she picked up where she left off, with acrylic paint.

"I started (painting) in my closet." Davies said laughing.

"I cleared off a shelf so I had a little room to paint. It was the only place that, I could get away and be in a quiet place:'

When she finished college and was employed in the nursing industry, she found that everything she did reminded her of art.

"Over the years, I was really desperate for more time to do this. My favourite work as a nurse is wound care because it (was the
most like art)."

She explained that dressing the wounds would remind her of putting pieces of a puzzle together and that by having to do it so carefully to make sure everything fit properly was "very therapeutic (in a way)."

But even comparing her career to art wasn't the same as doing it.

Luckily, Davies husband - a huge supporter of her artwork - suggested that she do what she loves to do.

His devotion to his wife's passion started with an art studio that he built for her about two years ago in their Ault Island home with the hopes that she
would paint more.

In the last year, Davies was able to quit nursing to paint full time under the suggestion of her husband.

"Last year, my husband said to do it full time." she said.

"I do it because I love it. It's stress relieving. Sometimes I see something and it will remind me of someone (and) that will just drive me to do something. I think a lot of people look at (art) and think 'I don't have that skill' and I think people have to open their mind and just do it. .

"I wish people would look at it as a therapy or away of relaxing."

Visit me at www.mishmoshstudio.ca and fineartamerica.com