Tracy Lynn Pristas has maintained a painting studio for over 12 years in an old building along the Historic Ravenswood Industrial Corridor on the Northside of Chicago with the elevated brown line train rumbling right outside her windows. In addition to being a painter Pristas is also a certified yoga instructor and certified Reiki practitioner. The influence of these two practices contribute to the tranquility felt in her paintings.
What gives Pristas's work it's edge is the way that she searches for her images/motifs directly within the paint itself. Pristas does not do any preliminary sketches, but prefers to trust in the magic of the intuitive process. What she does plan is her color palette, which is limited. Keeping the colors in the same family results in a harmonious painting. She mixes all of her colors by hand to create unique, subtle tones and values. Using many layers of paint, she has developed her own surface manipulation techniques to create this remarkable style. This exceptional combination of multiple layers of colors, and surface-manipulation techniques used to build textures, creates a sense of space that whisper landscape.
It was the texture on one of her large scale paintings, Majestic Whisper, that caught the eye of Hollywood set designer, Dan Clancy. After visiting her studio, he chose several paintings for the Universal Studios blockbuster, "The Break-Up", starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. Pristas was later interviewed by Mai Martinez and appeared on CBS Channel 2 Chicago News. She was also featured in Chicago Magazine and The Pittsburgh Tribune. Her paintings also appear on Life Time TV, new series Drop Dead Diva. |
Resume
| Collections |
| 2010 |
|
Northwestern Memorial Hospital |
Chicago, Illinois |
Collections |
| 2009 |
|
Advocate Lutheran Hospital |
Park Ridge, Illinois |
Collections |
| 2009 |
|
Central Dupage Hospital |
Winfield, Illinois |
Collections |
| 2008 |
|
St. John's Hospital |
St. Louis, Missouri |
Collections |
| Media Coverage |
| 2009 |
|
Paintings On The Set of Lifetime TV, "Drop Dead Diva" |
Culver City, California |
Media Coverage |
| 2006 |
|
CBS 2 News Interview |
Chicago, Illinois |
Media Coverage |
| 2006 |
|
Paintings featured in Universal Studios blockbuster movie "The Break-Up" |
Chicago, Illinois |
Media Coverage |
| 2000 |
|
Featured Artist on Muse cable access TV |
Chicago, Illinois |
Media Coverage |
| Grants & Awards |
| 2003 – 1999 |
|
Community Arts Assistance Grant, Department of Cultural Affairs |
Chicago, Illinois |
Grants & Awards |
| 1999 |
|
Ragdale Foundation Residency |
Chicago, Illinois |
Grants & Awards |
| 1998 |
|
Curators Choice Award, Around The Coyote |
Chicago, Illinois |
Grants & Awards |
| Selected Exhibitions |
| 2009 |
|
Bella Vista Art |
Asheville, North Carolina |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2009 |
|
Fine Line Design Gallery |
Ephraim, Wisconsin |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2008 |
|
Bella Vista Art |
Asheville, North Carolina |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2008 |
|
Fine Line Designs Gallery |
Ephraim, Wisconsin |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2008 |
|
Bennett Street Gallery Fall Exhibit |
Atlanta, Georgia |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2007 |
|
Bennett Street Gallery |
Atlanta, Georgia |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2007 |
|
Artizen Fine Arts |
Dallas, Texas |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2007 |
|
Fine Line Design Gallery |
Ephraim, Wisconsin |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2007 |
|
Lydon Fine Art |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2007 |
|
Ravenswood Art Auction |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 1997 – 2007 |
|
Ravenswood Art Walk |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2006 |
|
Lydon Fine Art |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2005 |
|
Lydon Fine Art |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2004 |
|
Spring Street Gallery |
Galena, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2006 – 2002 |
|
Chicago Merchandise Mart - One of a Kind |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2002 |
|
Wood Street Gallery |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2002 |
|
D - Gallery |
Evanston, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 2001 |
|
Peter Jones Gallery |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 1999 |
|
Belloc Lowndes Fine Art Gallery |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 1999 |
|
Suburban Fine Arts |
Highland Park, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 1999 |
|
Expressions Graphic Gallery |
Oak Park, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 1998 |
|
Global Yoga & Wellness Center |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 1998 |
|
Rhapsody @ Orchestra Hall |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 1998 |
|
Gallery Ten |
Rockford, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 1994 |
|
Women Made Gallery |
Chicago, Illinois |
Selected Exhibitions |
| 1994 |
|
Carnegie Museum of Art |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
Selected Exhibitions |
| Publications |
| 2008 |
|
Yoga Chicago Magazine |
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| 2008 |
|
Atlanta Style & Design |
Atlanta, Georgia |
Publications |
| 2008 |
|
Artists & Art Galleries of the South |
Atlanta, Georgia |
Publications |
| 2006 |
|
Chicago Magazine |
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| 2006 |
|
Pittsburgh Tribune Art Review |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
Publications |
| 2005 |
|
Chicago Reader - Lydon Exhibit Image & Listing |
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| 2005 |
|
The Artful Home Sourcebook |
Madison, Wisconsin |
Publications |
| 2004 |
|
Chicago Learning Guide Art Review |
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| 2004 |
|
Crain's Chicago Business Art Review |
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| 2003 |
|
Yoga Chicago Art Review |
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| 2003 |
|
Named best visual artist - CAC
|
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| 2003 |
|
Lerner Skyline - Yoga For Artistic Inspiration |
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| 1998 |
|
Chicago Art Scene Book |
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| 1998 |
|
Chicago Sun-Times Art Review |
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| 1996 |
|
Chicago Sun Times Art Review |
Chicago, Illinois |
Publications |
| Education |
| 1987 – 1991 |
|
BA. Miami University |
Oxford, Ohio |
Education |
| Teaching |
| 1999 – 2008 |
|
Yoga instructor |
Chicago, Illinois |
Teaching |
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