Abstract Landscapes by Tracy Lynn Pristas

News
May. 18, 2010	ArtSlant Curatorial Team Showcase Winner
Apr. 7, 2010	Northwestern Memorial Healthcare Commission
Nov. 14, 2009	Lincoln Park Residential Commission
Oct. 7, 2009	Central Dupage Hospital Healthcare Commission
Jul. 27, 2009	Pristas Paintings On Lifetime TV Drop Dead Diva, Sunday, July 12
May. 15, 2009	Central Dupage Hospital Healthcare Commission
Apr. 20, 2009	Lutheran General Hospital Healthcare Commission
Mar. 29, 2008	St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis purchases Pristas painting for their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

My oil paintings are soaked in contemplative emotions and an intense dreamlike reverence for the natural world. I am influenced by nature in its abstracted forms. While some of my abstract landscapes and elusive atmospheric paintings may remind the viewer of a particular place what excites me is establishing a mood for the painting.

I have developed my own surface manipulation techniques that I craft to build rich textures, and create a sense of space that whisper landscape. It was the texture on one of my large scale paintings, Majestic Whisper, that caught the eye of Hollywood set designer, Dan Clancy. After visiting my Chicago studio, he choose several paintings for Universal Studios blockbuster, "The Break -Up" starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. This led to a later interview by Mai Martinez and an appearance on CBS Channel 2 Chicago News. As well as a featured in Chicago Magazine and an article in The Pittsburgh Tribune. Recently, St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, in St. Louis purchased Ethereal Whirl for their new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The painting will be displayed in a respite area for adults and family on that ICU. May of 2009, Settled Season a large scale uplifting landscape painting was commissioned by Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL for their ICU. I also designed two mono types of serene water lilies Invisible Tides and Sought Solace, for Central Dupage Hospital in Winfield, IL and, Sun Washed Season, a large scale oil painting which they commissioned for their new building. January of 2010 another healthcare commission of a large scale oil to be displayed in Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation's Pelvic Center, Chicago, IL.

I feel that health care is an appropriate placement for my work, being that I am a certified Reiki practitioner and yoga instructor. Reiki is a Japanese system for channeling Universal Life Force Energy to someone for the purpose of healing discovered by Dr. Usui in the late 1800’s. The influence of these two practices contribute to the tranquility felt in my paintings. According to Eastern philosophy the painted landscape is spiritually restorative even when actual visits to nature are impossible. Today it is becoming increasingly difficult for the urban public to connect with the sacred realm of nature to find psychological comfort. It is my intent that my abstract landscape paintings can act as sanctuaries for the urban public reminding the viewer to respect and care for the environment and to observe each marvelous
moment.

Tracy on CBS2 Chicago News Save Oct. 2 & 3 Ravenswood Art Walk Studio Open House