Tracy Ostmann-Haschke

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As a native of rural Missouri, Tracy’s artistic roots grew from a family of craftsmen and artisans. She is a seasoned interdisciplinary artist with a focus on painting. After receiving her B.F.A. in painting and drawing from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, Tracy attended The Art Institute of Chicago where she completed the Post Baccalaureate certificate program. In Chicago she completed her first private, public art project for the St. Louis Metro Link station, which she completed in 1993. During this time she began exhibiting her paintings and started her own decorative arts service business. She completed projects for The John G. Shedd Aquarium, The University of Pennsylvania, Jelly Belly Candy Co., Warner Brothers, The Cliff-dweller’s Club, Art and Soul restaurant-Washington D.C., The Garfield Park Conservatory, Kribi Coffee, and Ralph Lauren. She has received a Chicago Arts Assistance Program grant award. She currently exhibits her work at Alma Arts and Interiors in Bridgeport (Chicago). In 2017 she completed a tree for Chicago Sculpture International and The Chicago Tree Project. Her paintings are representational and most associated with representing an every-day genre, from exploring the mundane aspects of daily life to the extraordinary events that we all can identify with. Her work is collected by private collectors nationally and internationally in corporate and public spaces. Tracy lives and works in Chicago’s E. Garfield park neighborhood in the Carroll Avenue Arts District with her husband and two children.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

My work is often representational, a cast of characters pronounced through a style that borders on realism, abstract, and impressionism. A visual narrative unfolds, revealing events or moments of happenstance which might characterize various roles of human existence. Dicey and endurance coalesce with clouded psychology noting the possibility of a deeper explanation. I find inspiration from my surroundings of people and nature. Transpired through my search for movement, gesture, and expression, these emerging characters become substantial throughout my process. My imagery appears through rough sketches offering composition solutions that evolve while drawing with thin layers of paint. I am documenting recollected moments that in turn happen to parallel a provoked, yet unexplained emotion.
I work in oils, acrylics, and drawing materials; charcoal and graphite. Thin layers of color are overlapped, paint is drawn and sketched vigorously across and up and down as I manipulate the images I see coming through the paint. I dive right in, the next mark steering my next decision. Only sometimes does my work require rough compositional sketches and at times photo references. A large mirror is an essential tool throughout my process, allowing me to reference my own features when working with the figure.

$6,930.00

Oil on canvas.

36x60"

Myself and artist Michael Thompson collaborated on an exhibit we titled Sweet and Savory which took place in 2015 inside of Epic Spices spice shop in Chicago. We installed food themed works of art. Most of my pieces were 2D, including this painting of garlic.

Tracy Ostmann-Haschke

$4,850.00

Oil on canvas.

38x32"

Zest! 2015, oil on canvas. I created Zest for a themed exhibit titled Sweet and Savory. Myself and artist Michael Thompson put this exhibit together inside Epic Spices spice shop in Chicago. Most of my pieces were 2D with an exception of an oversized stuffed ginger pillow and paper mache' red chili peppers.

Tracy Ostmann-Haschke

$31,880.00

Oil on canvas.

84x108"

I created this painting in 2003. It's about my experiences with fellow artists friends and the dinner parties we would spontaneously put together. Everyone would bring something to share, or not. The meal wasn't what was important but rather the conversation and company. I'm seated at the head of the table with my two stray dogs by my side.

Tracy Ostmann-Haschke