"Art is not a matter of what you can see, but what you can make others see." - Edgar Degas

As a child, my three-ring binder full of drawings of horses was a prized possession. In my mind, horses have a mystical, almost phantom-like quality that I became drawn to from an early age. I became transfixed just seeing one in an open field. Today, I recognize this mark in all animals as the fingerprint of the infinite imagination of the Creator. There is a kind of communion that takes place between me and God when painting or in the presence of animals.

With animals as my subjects, I discover great freedom in employing my imagination as a catalyst for new mythology. Often, I deal with dark themes or struggles in these works, pairing dramatic images and short narratives. In creating a surreal and timeless atmosphere for discovery of this new mythology, I invite the viewers to continue the journey by finding more of the story in their own imagination.

  Each painting begins in my mind with a word, a string of words or a clear image that appears like a dream. I am an oil painter.

Tracey Clarke