Daily Inspiration: Meet Tracy Ann Holmes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Ann Holmes.

Hi Tracy Ann, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Being an artist has been part of my identity since being small. I have always wanted to draw, paint, and sculpt the things I see and imagine. It has been a joyous adventure each time I am able to bring things out of my imagination into reality. Growing up in the beautiful Napa, California helped build my awareness of nature. I pursued my love of art at Brigham Young University where I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Ceramics and an K-12 Art Education Certificate. The program emphasized a Bauhaus approach which encourages artists to take courses in all media before choosing a focus. Through this I discovered my favorite media of ceramic and watercolor.
Over the last 30 years I have utilized ceramic in figurative sculpture, tile, and mural art. My sculptural work is predominately the female form. I create figurative metaphors to explore my faith, challenges of raising a family, difficulties of life, and womanhood. Just recently I attended a figurative sculpture workshop with master artist Adrian Arleo and learned techniques to create larger and stronger figures.

My favorite tile mural technique is that of free form mosaics that utilize grout lines as design lines. In 2014 I attended the workshop of architectural ceramics artists Peter King & Xinia Marin so I could expand my skill-set to create public artworks that will last for generations. Projects include tile murals at schools and clay carvings for home interiors.

My love of color and nature manifest in my watercolors. The largest collection of my work is the “Sonoran Desert Life” series, which contains more than 70 images of local flora & fauna. Over the last three years I have had the honor of creating murals for many Walmart stores which can be seen across the nation. I paint the murals at home at 1/10 scale, then scan them at high resolution, and then they are printed on a vinyl substrate and mounted to the wall. Locally you can see my murals in the following Arizona Walmarts (store # is listed after the city): Chandler 6480, Coolidge 2778, Surprise 4218, Glendale 3241, Prescott 5303, Prescott Valley 3730, Scottsdale 2112 and Avondale 2554.

I taught in the public school system for five years in Utah and North Carolina before we moved to Arizona. I had the wonderful opportunity to stay home with my kids where there were always (and still are) art projects going on. We have lived in Tucson for 20+ years and I am happy to call it my forever home. I continue to teach youth and adult art classes. I love empowering others to create art and enjoy the work of their hands. As my kids became teens I began my journey to be represented in galleries. My watercolor work is now shown at Absolutely Art, Tohono Chul Gardens Gallery Shop, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the Southern Arizona Arts Guild Gallery, and my Etsy shop. I am actively seeking gallery representation for my ceramic sculptures and would love to extend my watercolor prints and greeting cards throughout Arizona. Currently I am working on a large solo exhibition of my work that will take place at the Tucson JCC in August 20th-September 28th, 2026, entitled “Meditation & Metaphor” which will be a grouping of my watercolors and ceramic works.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a successful artist is hard work just like anything else. Sure I love what I do but I also have wear many hats. I am salesperson, graphic designer, social media manager, mover, janitor, tax preparer, and studio artist. Someday, when my art is in high demand, I will hire someone else to do all but that last task!

I have chosen to have a family, which brings me a great deal of joy, but that joy also comes with work to keep those relationships healthy. So my biggest challenge is always having enough time in the studio. The thing that has really made the difference is scheduling my studio time. I block off specific times and I get out and work.

There have been seasons to my art making. When my children were small, art was mainly my creative outlet to help me find balance and also the occasional commission/portrait to bring in a few dollars. My husband has always been my biggest supporter. He loves to see what I create and encourages me to do so. There are, of course, times of family emergency when everything halts. But the beauty of art is that after something awful happens you can find healing and peace just by doing it.

I think the hardest thing that effects all artist is trying to get your name out there. I had to have a large body of work showing that I had a specific style before seeking gallery representation. One of the best things I did was start out at a guild/co-op gallery. It allowed me to network with other artists, bounce ideas off of them, learn where they purchased materials, find out where else they show, and gain a support network. The other thing that has been good for getting recognition is to enter many shows. I tried my share of art fairs but they are brutal on your body with prep, set-up, being at the booth for several days in sun, wind or rain and then break down. You also never know how well the show will do and might not make back the booth fee. To keep my body healthy, so I can keep creating, I am willing to do slow and steady sales at galleries that take a commission and not gamble with art fairs.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My watercolors are like meditation for me. You know that feeling you get when you are 3/4ths of the way through a puzzle and all the pieces seem to be sliding into their spots? Watercolor is like that for me. I love the flow of the color on the paper and the combination of control and serendipity that happens with watercolor. I especially love when I am painting a person or animal and I capture that spark that make the eyes come to life. I paint mainly from my own photographs and gain permission from photographers before I use their work as reference. I start with a light pencil sketch/cartoon on Arches 300lb Cold Press paper and use Winsor & Newton watercolor paint.

My ceramic sculpture on the other hand are very metaphorical and often looks quite surreal. I consider them my “soul work” and the ideas that give birth to these pieces often come from sketching and taking notes at church or during personal studies. I’ll hear something and think “how would I convey that concept visually”. From there I will do several sketches until I’m happy with the gesture. Sometimes I will get a model to pose for me and take several pictures at all angles. I make prints of my sketches and my reference model to create a project sheet and then dig into the clay. All of my sculptures are one of a kind and built by hand using slab and coil building techniques. One of the images below is called “Letting Go” and is based on releasing anxiety. You can see the sketches and the one circled when I found the gesture that I liked. I used the birds flying up and around her torso to represent frenzied anxieties/pressures/hurts. The birds then explode up and out and her hands are raised in the act of helping those worries escape. And the best thing for me is that in creating “Letting Go” it helps me let go too.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
As an artists I get my best work done when I’m whisked away by a story and let my hands do their work. I listen to Audio books and often get through 2-3 books a week. The Libby app is fabulous to download audio library books for free. I put holds on several books at a time so I never run out of listening. I also use Audible to buy those books that my library doesn’t have. Some genres I like are historical fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, master classes and biographies. Some of my favorite authors are: Cornelia Funke, Brandon Sanderson, H.G. Parry, Richard Osman, Jennifer Donelly, Lisa Wingate, Adrienne Young, Charlie Holmberg and Kate Morton.

Pricing:

• Greeting Cards of “Sonoran Desert Life” series $6 (wholesale available)
• Giclee (archival, lightfast prints on cotton rag paper) $35-$525
• Original Watercolors starting at $200
• Ceramic Sculptures $250-$4500

Contact Info:

• Website: tracyannholmes.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/tracyannholmes/
• Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Tracy-Ann-Holmes/183742231708877
• Other: etsy.com/shop/TracyAnnHolmes