Traci Isaly

Traci Isaly Traci Isaly Click Here to View More Photos Traci Isaly 27 Quinn Creek Road Bozeman, MT 59715 Phone: (406)586-7605 Contact: Send Email Web Site Address: www.traciisaly.com Traci Jo Isaly About the artist Born and raised in Wyoming, I have had a wildish need to communicate through artistic expression all of my adult life. Finding ways to acknowledge, pursue, and articulate the creative force that drives me, has been a life long journey. Exploring the open spaces in the outdoor arena of my childhood left an indelible mark on my memories and in turn was a compass that guided my pursuits into the broader spectrum of my life. My siblings and I were exposed to the environs of nature on a daily basis. We built intricate forts out of cottonwood and willow along the riverbanks; we were at home outside and we got dirty, coming indoors only when it was too dark and our mother was on the hunt for her offspring. We spent many summer afternoons riding our nine ponies that dad brought home from a “fire sale” in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We caught little brook trout with our bare hands and brought them home for our mother, or sometimes tried to cook them ourselves, on a rock. As we grew older, we spent the majority of our free time exploring and roaming the vast landscape of the Wind River Valley, the Wind River Mountains, and the Absaroka Range. In all of the experience that my relationship with the natural world afforded me, I began to tap into an appreciation for the people that had come before me and I wondered what their experiences might have been in the mountains we explored; what their relationship was with the natural world around them and how they chose to pursue their own creative endeavors. Because of my seemingly endless curiosity about places, human cultures and their interconnection with the natural environs, space, time and creative expression, I found a uniquely artistic medium that incorporates the beauty of nature into a human anthropological theme. This achievement has allowed me to establish a sense of meaning, and purpose to what I do. Edward Curtis, Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, Rollo May, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Walt Whitman, and Edward Abby; photographers, story tellers, psychologists, poets, anti-establishment thinkers, all and more, have influenced my creative expression. I am fascinated with anthropology, and the human form; the process of translating the richness of our humanness into art. Cultures from around the globe have interpreted the human form for millenniums. In my pursuit to know more about the world around me, past and present, I create pieces that evoke a story, maybe a story that will resonate with you, our stories…together and apart. I have lived and pursued my art in Montana for the past 31 years. My husband Jamie and I have created a haven of our own for family and friends in the Bozeman area on Quinn Creek. I spend most of my winter days in the studio, listening to public radio, reading and doing what I love, experiencing the process of artistic expression. A few comments… "Traci creates magical pieces that evoke the mystical, organic, and mysterious. Her use of natural elements and materials convey the sensual as well as the soothing. Her works are a pleasure to live with. " -Bruce Rinnert, McLeod, MT "After visiting Traci's studio, outside Bozeman, MT, I began to understand the source of her creative spark. Traci is wedded to the earth. Everything around her has significance, use and beauty. Her creative task is the story that evolves out of each piece. Her figures become archetypal symbols with the natural energy that resonates from the common ground on which we all live. " -Karen Cochran, Nashville TN "Traci Isaly has that unique and extraordinary ability to fuse the anthropomorphic & spiritual in a concise and compelling way. Her work is challenging and provocative; bringing us to vantages of growth and understanding. " -Matt Blakeman, Lincoln City, Oregon "I find Traci's work to be the most inspiring I have encountered in a long time. Her beautiful pieces are meticulously made with love and care. Her figures grace my habitat with enduring wonder. I have given many to friends and family. I cannot resist her creations" -Renee Evanoff, Emigrant, MT "Traci Isaly's figure is a living presence in our lives. It radiates a palpable energy which springs in part from a perfect balance between natural materials and Traci's wonderful ability to shape those materials into a human expression of beauty." -Joanie Kresich, Livingston, MT "Traci has a depth of artistry and a technique that I have never seen before. The unusual combination of materials, her vision, and her sheer brilliance as an artist makes her work unique, spiritual, and beautiful." -Sally O’Conner, Livingston, MT "I have watched as Traci's work has evolved over the years. Her impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail elevate basic visual principles to thought-provoking works of art. Her creativity is firmly rooted in an innate reverence for the natural world -- paying homage to the beauty found in nature and stretching time honored mythologies into a highly emotive personal language that has universal appeal. Her figures speak of tradition while moving the conversation forward in unexpected ways." -Brad Bunkers

Listed Artwork:   (Click on one to view more information about that artwork) Ghost Walker Elephant Dreams In My Elephant Dreams I In My Elephant Dreams II Stella J The Story of Raven Dogwood Sea Treasures Bison Woman Blue Egg Black Haired Beauty Raven Watcher Sun Raven Stella J Hornets’ Nest