Tracy Helgeson

Tracy Helgeson attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, majoring in Graphic Design and then transferred to the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) where she studied illustration. Philadelphia was a great influence on Tracy and it was there that her work began to take on a unique style as she learned the under painting skills and glazing techniques that distinguish her current work. After relocating to upstate New York in 2003 and greatly inspired by the natural beauty surrounding the farmhouse that she lives and works in, Tracy began painting landscapes for the first time. She continues to focus on landscapes as well as other farm related imagery such as barns, quiet country roads and the occasional livestock.

Artist Statement

My work is greatly inspired by the landscape, as well as the barns, structures, roads and farm scenes that surround my home in the Cooperstown, New York area. I often paint the same scenes over and over, deriving great comfort from portraying what is familiar as well as noting the small changes that occur over time in my environment. Yet within that framework of the familiar, the start of each painting brings me the exciting challenge of finding new ways to express what I see and feel.

I strive for simplicity in my work; in color, form, composition, and subject matter. However, complexities inevitably find their way in via texture, handwritten elements and small bits of painted details.