Bio

Tracy Sweet is a product of the Midwest. He was born in Madison, WI in 1937 and grew up in Wisconsin, Indiana and Iowa. He and his wife Sherry live in Charles City, Iowa, nestled in the scenic Cedar River valley, where life truly is at a slower pace with fewer distractions. He says living in a small community has a positive effect on one's art by making it easier to stay focused.

He attended Iowa State College (now known as Iowa State University) and the University of Iowa. He has been painting since he was a child and is primarily a self-taught artist.

He has earned a living as a technical writer, a newspaper reporter, a photographer and as the director of a small arts center. He and his wife owned and operated a photography studio from 1976 until 2009. Sweet now spends as much time as possible painting.

Sweet was a member of the board of directors of Iowans for the Arts from 1998 to 2004. He was an ex-officio board member of the Iowa Arts Council during 2004. He is a member of the International Society of Acrylic Painters.

In the past he sold his work privately and at summer arts festivals. Recently he has been in a number of solo and group exhibits. His paintings are in several galleries in Iowa. He is in the process of expanding to other states.

Artist’s Statement

My paintings are at a point where representation joins abstraction. They are quite abstract but are often based on some actual thing or place I have seen with my own eyes. If the name of a place is in the title you can be assured that I have actually been there.

I’m a “loose” painter, constantly trying to become looser. Looseness keeps you from being boxed in. Being boxed in tends to stifle the creative process. Intuition therefore is a major component of my artistic process.

Occasionally I also paint semi-abstracts. I do not paint ugliness.

An artist friend of mine says there’s already enough ugliness in the world without us artists adding to it. I wholeheartedly agree.

My work is constantly evolving. Trying new things, for me, is one of the great joys of painting. It energizes me and often gets me out of bed at 4:00 A.M.