Tracy, your work “celebrates the wonder of the natural world and raises awareness about sustainability, plastic reduction” and the protection of nature. How did this become your focus and how has your approach evolved over time?

I have always cared about the environment, but I became invested in upcycled plastic when I was trying to create texture and a distorted grid pattens in my encaustic paintings. The more I worked with plastic, I came to understand how it was repelled by the natural materials I was working with. I also became acutely aware of how much single use plastic was in the environment. As I began to change my lifestyle and reduce my consumption of single use plastic, I realized I could use my artistic platform to spread the message about the dangers of plastic. In addition to my art practice, I have become involved with legislative efforts to reduce plastic packaging in NY State.

The more I read about plastics the more I became concerned about microplastics in the body. When I started the Ubiquitous project in 2022 scientists had found microplastics in every natural environment and in the human body, but they were unclear if microplastics were causing health issues. As of today, microplastics have been found in the brain, heart arteries, lungs, blood, kidneys, livers, intestines, testicles, reproductive organs, joints, bone marrow, breast milk, and placentas of humans. In addition, it is now clear that microplastics are harmful to our health.

Uff… That’s not good for our health! “Ubiquitous” explores this microplastics topic through a multi-media installation with creamy white painted sculptures and cool-toned abstract paintings. How did you decide on materials and techniques? What does your process involve?

After working with upcycled plastics for many years, in 2022, I took the ecoartpace class, Sustainability and the Art Studio, and closely examined my materials, safety practices, supplies, tools and studio practice to determine if I could make my work process more environmentally friendly. My primary material is encaustic paint, which is created from beeswax, damar resin and pigment, which is more environmentally friendly than many art materials. I spoke to R&F Paints, the primary manufacturer of my encaustic paint, and learned that their company is committed to sourcing and producing environmentally friendly practices from their small factory in Kingston, NY. I have discontinued use of all cadmium color encaustic paint, as cadmium can be toxic and only use brushes made of natural materials. I shop locally whenever possible and use upcyled materials in much of my work. In addition, I have improved the ventilation system in my studio and wear a mask when I mix my own paints. In the last few years, I have begun to focus on creating works on paper which use less material, and create a smaller carbon footprint, than creating paintings on panels.

The recent paintings were all painted in colors which embrace the beauty of nature … the blues of the sea and sky, the greens of the earth and trees, and the yellow of the sun. Like the sculptures, the paintings were textured with upcycled plastic. I use upcycled material in my work, because it allows me to spark conversations about sustainability, plastic reduction, and the urgent need to protect the world we inhabit.

I experimented with many color variations for the sculptures in my Ubiquitous installation. My goal for the installation was to bring viewers in with the beauty of the sculptures and then, when they were immersed in the installation, they would come to learn that the sculptures represented microplastics in the body and focus on the shapes and texture of the pieces without getting lost in the color. I landed on the simplicity of the creamy white.

I really appreciate how many factors you consider when creating this work. Beyond your mission and interest, you seem to attend to the viewer and how the pieces live in curated space. Does this awareness come from your varied career background? Has becoming an artist after having other careers informed your approach?

I made a lot of art as a teenager, but I grew up in a family where you went to college to prepare for a career. Studying studio art in college was never something I ever imagined; however, I did take a few art history classes while getting a degree in mass communications and marketing. I worked in art related careers for over 20 years, not only at MoMA and the Guggenheim, but I also worked in advertising, both in the US and overseas. Then, through the years that I was a stay-at-home mom, I took courses at the International Center for Photography and at the New York School for Interior Design. In retrospect, I realize I had been circling the idea of my own art practice for many years without realizing it.

When I was in my 50’s and dealing with some difficult family issues, I was finally brave enough to begin taking classes at the Art Students League of New York and workshops with experienced artists working in encaustic. I had to make myself vulnerable, be willing to challenge myself, and pick myself up when I failed. The time I spent working in museums exposed me to the work of many contemporary artists, gave me a stronger appreciation for curation and showed me how art can be used as an immersive experience.

My non-traditional artistic training has taught me to look deeply at art, to embrace balance, not symmetry, to appreciate scale and size, and to become obsessed with texture. I sometimes wonder how a traditional art school background would have affected my practice. Perhaps I would draw better or would have been further along in my career as an artist. But my winding background has made me who I am today, and I wouldn’t change it. When I studied interior design I took classes in color theory, art history, textiles, and drafting. I use these skills in my work today and they give me better understanding about how work looks in a space. Studying photography taught me about composition and proportion, which are integral to my current work. And I use my marketing and organizational skills from my advertising days in the administrative part of my work.

As for the future of my practice, I am currently developing a series of encaustic monotypes based on the concept of patina. I have learned that patina is not corrosion, but a protective layer that can prevent further deterioration. I am developing the idea that like patina, art can protect us from the negativity in the world around us. I don’t see art as a place to hide, but as a place to pause and find respite, before we head back to fight another day.

Thank you, Tracy! You’ve offered a lot to consider in both message and space.

Featured images (top to bottom): ©Tracy Penn, Ubiquitous, 2024, mixed media and upcycled plastic, installation view, Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA; These Are Days, 2022, encaustic, oil, and upcyled material on panel, 36 x 72 x 1.75, commissioned work; Ubiquitous, 2024, mixed media and upcycled plastic, installation view, Sandwich, New Hampshire USA; Ubiquitous, 2024; portrait of the artist (below).