Artist Statement
The notion of an Arcadian life appeals to me — contentment, peace and innocence — an idyllic place in nature, harmonious, optimistic and filled with possibility. I believe that everything in life is interconnected, that our energies are intertwined. In my art, the colorful simplified forms are combined interacting and mingling with each other to communicate a sense of oneness. In both my life and my art I seek a balance between abundance and simplicity, between chaos and control. I am interested in creating a harmony of color, shape and line and I take pleasure in designing the compositions, breaking the shapes and spaces with curving lines, overlapping objects and elements and through these interactions new shapes develop. I work this interplay and balancing act until the elements come together in a unified way — representational yet abstracted. The imagery in my work consists of elements from nature, figures entwined with organic forms — things that elicit positive emotions in me. The figures are often symbolic or allegorical. Through my art making I get in touch with my center. At times I crave the calm control of solid color contained by line, shapes of color bringing a composition together like pieces of a puzzle. At other times I need the freedom of textural brushed color and seeing how the layers of paint interact, leading my mind’s eye to reveal itself. I relish that sense of discovery, one brush stroke at a time, trusting my creative process, my instincts, until harmony is achieved out of chaos at last and the work feels complete.
Biography
Traci O’Very Covey was born in Salt Lake City and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Utah where she studied drawing, painting and graphic design. She is known for her lyrical murals and paintings of intertwining elements from nature, everyday objects, and symbolic figures. The various elements in her art mingle harmoniously with a strong interplay between color, shape and line creating dynamic and unified compositions that offer a sense of discovery. Traci has several murals and metal sculpture installations in public places in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her art has been exhibited in various galleries, museums, corporate collections, and is in The Salt Lake County Collection of Fine Art. Aside from her fine art career, she has been an award-winning graphic designer and illustrator for over 30 years. Her work has been featured in national design publications and she has illustrated and designed several books. Some of her most locally visible art has been commissioned by the Salt Lake Arts Council, Salt Lake County, Utah Opera, Utah Symphony, Ballet West, the Farmers Market, Downtown Alliance, South Salt Lake Arts Council, and Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. She also created two large scale murals for the New SLC International Airport.