Editor’s note: This is the first instalment of a five-part series on the Tour of the Arts, Invermere’s annual art gala taking place on Sunday, August 5. Each of the five stories will feature one artist from every one of the five tour locations. Artist Tracie Truscott’s art will be on display at Site no. 1.
Since the age of three, Tour of the Arts artist Tracie Truscott has been perfecting her craft. Although many years have gone by, she doesn’t feel the subject of her work has changed all that much.
“It’s so diverse — everything that you see, you take part of that and apply it to your artwork,” Truscott said. “I wouldn’t say that [my taste] has evolved so much, but more my techniques and what I notice in my surroundings.”
A native of Creston who now lives in Cranbrook, Truscott draws inspiration from the world around her — whether it be the calming waters of Kootenay Lake, or the wildlife surrounding it. Water in particular, she said, plays a large role in her artwork as she can simply sit for hours and stare at the lake. Similarly, she can spend hours on her art without even noticing.
“It’s the free time in my head; five hours can go by in a flash and I don’t think about anything else,” said Truscott. “Nothing else matters at that point, it’s an escape basically.”
Truscott first heard about the Tour of the Arts a couple years ago and took part for the first time last year. She has exhibited her work in galleries in Colorado and California in the past, but hadn’t done anything like the tour format before. She said she had such a great experience the first year, it was an easy choice to come back.
“I loved it (the first year,)” Truscott said. “I think they’ve done an amazing job, the way they’ve organized everything… it runs so well, and I’m really impressed with it.”
Her favourite medium is acrylic paint but something she has also been exploring for a number of years is sculpting rock art. Her creations are adorned with marvellous sea creatures painted in fantastic colours, and Truscott has even developed a special formulated bonding agent that aids in the fusion of stones. As a youngster, Truscott said she often would be out exploring river beds and lake shores, and upon becoming a certified scuba diver many years later, aquatic wildlife was something she incorporated into her pieces — sea turtles in particular. However, since coming back to Canada from Colorado in 2007, these days she draws most of her inspiration from Kootenay Lake.
“Kootenay Lake is huge for me,” she said. “I’d have to say that’s where most of it is rooted from, of all the places I’ve lived and travelled.”
Truscott’s artwork, and the work of a number of other talented artists, will be on display during the annual Tour of the Arts, which takes place this year on the first Sunday of August (August 5). The tour will be spread out over five locations, the first being the home of Rick & Pat Andruschuk at 2381 Stark Drive in Invermere. Passports to visit all five tour locations are now available at Pynelogs by calling 250-342-4423, at Village Arts in Invermere, Essentials Department Store in Invermere, Meet on Higher Ground Coffee Shop in Radium, at La Galleria II in Fairmont and at Cranbrook Photo in Cranbrook.