“Brain Map” by Tracey Millard

2020
Fibers, beading, books
10.5” x 15” x 2.5”

I have a passion for art. From a young age, I used crayons and scrap paper, but quickly I became my mother’s assistant in cutting fabric to make clothing for us kids. I loved the feel of the textiles and was amazed at her ability to take a scrap of fabric and make something out of nothing. Muses include the Impressionists like Van Gogh and the realism of Georgia O’Keefe. I now realize I was drawn to their beautiful color palettes and even the texture of each brush stroke.

In my multi-media pieces, I incorporate different materials to achieve a multitude of textures which I work to expose and also hide to be discovered later. Each piece begins after research and preliminary drawings, but once I begin actual “making,” the material informs me, surprises me, and draws me in new directions. Brain Map is a beading exploration of the interconnected world from outside (the book) to inside (the brain), which uses all lobes to translate, imagine, and incorporate into our life view.