A happy experience at the George A. Spiva Center for the Arts “many, many years ago” led to Tricia Courtney’s lifelong love of art. “My twin brother Patrick and I were just 5 years old when my mom took us to the Zelleken House at 4th & Sergeant in Joplin for a summer art class,” she says.
“I remember climbing up the steep staircase to a special classroom… kinda scary, but fun! We worked with clay and I made a turtle. I still remember the excitement, that unique feeling an artist feels, being proud of making something with my own hands. I still carry that excitement with me into the studio, and feel it even when preparing for a show gets complicated and stressful!” |
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If rich color and bold strokes created with a palette knife and “an extreme amount of paint” are what her oils are about, her approach to other mediums yields equally intriguing results. Over the last several years she has alternated between oils, recycled metal assemblage, vibrant acrylic drip paintings, and an entire world
of fanciful, whimsical children's characters.
Tricia, director of the Rose Gallery of Fine Arts in Joplin, earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield. She finds that the same abilities that sustained her through 27 years as a newspaper graphic artist—working rapidly, thinking quickly, designing on a moment’s notice—continue to fuel her creative style. As she says, “inspiration comes from everything that surrounds me, and those years gave me the edge to take chances, to be spontaneous.” Many know Tricia as a fine art oil painter who paints landscapes and floral works with a style that’s bold and bright with highly textured strokes reminiscent of Van Gogh.
More information -
Education
• McAuley Catholic High School, Joplin, Mo. 1975
• Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State University),
Springfield, Mo. 1979 (Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting)
• Central State University, Edmond, Okla. 1980 (Post graduate work, Graphics)
Work History
• Retail Advertising Graphic Artist, The Joplin Globe, Joplin, Mo. 1981-1998
• Editorial Graphic Artist, The Joplin Globe, Joplin, Mo. 1998-2009
• Webmaster/photography The Ozark Artists Colony, The Joplin Globe, 1998-2009
• Webmaster/photography – Arts of the Four States ,The Joplin Globe, 2003-2009
• Webmaster/photography – Spiva Center for the Arts 2004-2009
• Fine Artist/Illustrator 1979 - present
Mediums - Oil, acrylic, mosaic, found objects, collage, pen & ink, pencil, digital
• Character Designer
“The Land of the Buzzlewics”
“Zoppyzeeps”
Freelance Clients
• Scholastic
• Ceaco, Inc.
• Grossett & Dunlap
• American Home
• Creative Horizons
• F..R. Industries of California
• Jesali, Inc
• Landoll Publishing
• Silver Burdett & Ginn Publishing
• Harcourt/Grace Publishing
Art Organizations
• George A. Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, Mo.
• artCentral, Joplin, Mo.
Workshops, art-related teachings
• Children’s Art Demonstrations
• Fairview Elementary School, Carthage, Mo.
• Eugene Fields Elementary School, Webb City, Mo.
• Carl Junction Elementary School, Carl Junction, Mo.
• Joplin Gifted Children, Joplin, Mo.
• St. Mary’s Catholic School, Joplin, Mo.
• McAuley Catholic School, Joplin, Mo.
• Thomas Jefferson School, Joplin, Mo.
• Joplin High School, Joplin, Mo.
• Writer’s Guild, Monett Mo.
• St. Avips Perspectives
• Judged various organizations children’s art shows and competitions
Art Workshops at Spiva Center for the Arts
• “Mosaics with Tricia Courtney”
• “Spiva Special Weekend Workshop: Found Object Angels with Tricia Courtney
• “Bits & Pieces: Mosaic Fun! with Tricia Courtney” - (Feb. 24, 2007)
Charitable Work through Art
• Ronald McDonald House
• American Cancer Society
• YMCA, Tradition of the Trees
• Joplin Area Catholic Schools/St. Peter's Church
• artCentral
• St. Ann’s Elementary School, Carthage
• St. Ann’s Church, Carthage
• KOZJ, Public Television
• George A. Spiva Center for the Arts
• Friends of St. Avips (Spiva)
Community Involvement
• George A. Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, Mo.
• Beautify Joplin, Joplin Globe Team Captain
• Rejuvenate Joplin, Representative, Joplin Globe
Exhibitions
• Midwest Gathering of the Artists, Joplin, Mo.Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, Mo.
• Post Memorial Art Reference Library, Joplin, Mo.
• artCentral, Carthage, Mo. (Spring River Artists Group)
• Barton County Arts Council Art Show
• Ronald McDonald House, Joplin, Mo.
• Friends of St. Avips Ball & Art Auction
• Perspectives Gallery of Fine Art Public Art Sale (Friends of St. Avips)
• Strecker-Nelson Art Gallery, Manhattan, Kansas ("Richly Pigmented")
Galleries
• Cherry's Custom Framing, Carthage, Mo.
• Cleo's Picture Framing & Design, Joplin, Mo.
• George A. Spiva Center for the Arts (Gift Shop), Joplin, Mo.
• Strecker-Nelson Art Gallery, Manhattan, Kansas
Awards
• Midwest Gathering of the Artists Director's Award - 2004
• Hometown Bank Award - 2004
• Helen S. Boylan Award - 2002
• Carthage Chamber of Commerce "Artist of the Year" Award - 2003
• Spiva Center for the Arts 3rd Place - Membership Show 1999
• Ronald McDonald House Art Show - People’s Choice Award
