Pleasant Grove, AL

Mixed Media

Tracy Mckay grew up in near the Black River in Kingstree, South Carolina near Charleston but moved to Birmingham in 1980.

As an artist, Tracy is self taught using roofing paper and whatever paint he has available. u201C I%u2019ve always been very energetic x%x creative, just had trouble reigning it in.%u201D When I started painting 2 years ago it was like turning on a faucet of creative juice. It started pouring out, it%u2019s hard to keep up.

He starts his work with a brief notion and a strong impulse layering acrylics on roofing paper using his hands, chisels and a putty knife. I paint outside using the sun to speed up the drying process. As the paint dries it produces a skin like texture providing unexpected opportunities for underlying colors to peek through creating a jeweled appearance… A special glaze is used to age and mute the colors.

I try not to pay attention to rules or structure as a conscious process, I simply go in the direction of my emotions and the shapes that appear.

My work is best defined as heavily textured, impulsive, contemporary, religious, and a little chaotic%u2026