Tracey Cameron Creative

Category: In Progress

  • 57 Vulva’s and counting!

    57 Vulva’s and counting!

    All of my art work is a way for me to find my own personal power. I look at the natural world and am struck by the beauty and the innate sense of strength and connection in everything around me. With every piece I make I strive to inspire that feeling in myself again and to encourage it in others.

    The Bloom project started as a way to use up scraps and for me to feel more comfortable with the natural size and shape of my vulva. No two are alike and I found that I got really excited about combing different colours and patterns and seeing how the fabric would fold. At the moment I am up to 57 individual vulva’s and I finding I’m not as motivated to continue.

    I had a particular exhibition space in mind for these pieces and unfortunately they weren’t selected, and honestly it’s got me a little bit bummed. Sometimes with art it feels like you have to be constantly hustling to get your work “out there” and all that effort can be draining. So I don’t know where this project is going to go. I know I will continue to make my little fabric vulva’s because I love how they turn out but I don’t know where in the world they will find a home. But I guess sometimes I just have to trust the urge to make and believe that everything else will take care of it’s self. Even if I throw myself a little pity party or two along the way.

  • Covid Art Residency

    Covid Art Residency

    While the world has been locked away in our homes, physically distancing and wondering how everything could change in a few months’ time, I have been in my studio. I’m calling the last three months my Covid Art Residency and it’s actually been a joy for me. I realize I shouldn’t take pleasure in the midst of so much sickness and global unrest, but you have to appreciate the beauty of the sunset even when the world is burning right. Ever since I finished my house reno, and dedicated myself back to art, I have been waiting to try something new. I started out as a watercolour painter and I still love the liquid, unpredictable, fluidity of a good watercolour bleed; and wanted to incorporate that into my textile work. I started off March by buying a bunch of paints, dye and fabric with the intention to just experiment. Sometimes experimenting in the studio is like playing and other times it’s like banging your head against the wall trying to create the “vision” in your head. Maybe it was because of the addition of the stressful times but this experimentation was more painful than anticipated. In the end though I discovered organza and how it takes dye really well but doesn’t bleed too much. I worked with a few pieces incorporating watercolour painting on organza and like how things are turning out but there is still more experimenting to be done!

  • Renovation Check In

    Renovation Check In

    It’s been three months since my last blog post and we moved into our new house. I’ve been wanting to write a post for two months but have honestly not known where to start. The project is so large it’s hard to sum up in a few paragraphs, but I’ll try and be succinct.

    I mentioned in the Our First House post that we had specific requirements for our first house. Our idea was to purchase a house where the basement could be converted into Income Suite. My parents introduced me to the idea with their handful of income properties when I was a teenager. Scott McGillivray further sold me on the idea with his dreamy hair and “cheques to the bank” battle cry.

    But what fully convinced me to go down the investment property route, was the book Wealth Magnet, by Dr Dolf De Roos. In it he explains his buy and hold philosophy and turning your biggest debt into a positive that brings in monthly income as it appreciates. As great as being a creative entrepreneur is, I think it’s smart to diversify my streams of income and have something stable to count on when my art isn’t selling.

    So far we have demoed the basement; replaced and resized a window; added a walk in shower to the bathroom upstairs; and started about half the reframing in the basement. Still left to complete is EVERYTHING! Jobs have been started but nothing is fully fully complete yet and it’s starting to get a little overwhelming to say the least.

    Basement Demo | Tracey Cameron Creative

    We need to; demolish the basement bathroom; dig and trench the basement floor for the new bathroom location; finish framing the basement bathroom; insulate the ceiling with safe & sound; hang, mud, and tape drywall; insulate the cement floor; install vinyl plank flooring; install cabinets; … oh my this list is getting long and it’s not even complete.

    Our timeline is to have the basement finished and rented for June 1. Three more months? Can it be done? I have to keep reminding myself that little steps add up overtime so I don’t let the to do list feel insurmountable.

    Renovation Progress Upstairs Bath Sneak Peak | Tracey Cameron Creative

    One positive is the upstairs bath is almost complete. Just some waiting on faucets to arrive and to choose a paint colour. I will feel much better when the bathroom is done! It was a big difficult project to start with so it will feel like a major accomplishment to have it completed. Look out for my next post (it won’t be in three months I promise!) and I’ll sum up the upstairs bath project.

  • Making of Seagull

    [cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”false” marginless_columns=”true” class=”cs-hide-lg” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]I decided to do a little time-lapse video of what goes into the making of one of my pieces of textile art. This piece is called Seagull (very insightful I know) and was inspired by a night a few weeks ago on my back deck. I was lounging enjoying the lingering evening heat and this flock of seagulls spent an hour or more circling, flying and playing overhead. It was beautiful to watch them catch the evening sun on their wings and bodies drifting in and out of sun & shadow.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]

  • Peahen in Progress

    Peahen watercolor painting experimentation

    It’s been while since I’ve done a full scale formal watercolor painting … I think I’m a bit rusty … painting is NOT like riding a bike! I’ve been so caught up in sculptures for the past few years I’ve let the painting fall to the side, but I was inspired last week to paint a peahen. I loved how their colors are more muted than the bold peacock, and how the teals in their feathers flow and transition into browns and greys. I’ll keep working on it and post when it lives up to standards.