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Tracie Claflin-Bryant
| 2008 | MA | Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York | | 2008 | Certification | K-12 Art Teacher in California | | 1993 | BFA | Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota, Florida |
The work I create reflects my inner feelings and thoughts. I believe that my art is an extension of who I am at that moment, so each piece represents a very personal experience in my life. However, my intention is to imbue my work with symbolic meaning so it will resonate with others as well. My principal medium is oil pastel. I love immersing myself in the sensuous feel of the material as each new piece emerges. Sometimes I work in pencil or in pen and ink to create a pointillist look. In addition, I have also created several large-scale murals. My color work tends to be more detailed while the black and white images are simpler.
Tracie Claflin-Bryant is a visual artist and educator. She grew up around creative and talented people so it was natural for her to pursue this path. After earning a B.F.A. in illustration in 1993 from Ringling School of Art and Design, she also obtained certification as an art teacher in Florida and later in California. Her career as a K-12 educator has spanned 13 years. In 1997, Claflin-Bryant received a Teacher of the Year Award in Florida and was included in the Millennium Edition of Who's Who in American Women.
In 2000, she decided to pursue her Masters in Art Therapy. She was accepted into the Pratt Institute Intensive Program, which allowed her to continue to teach full-time and take graduate courses in the summer. During the school year, she worked at several facilities doing internships required by Pratt until she graduated with an M.A. in 2008.
Currently, Claflin-Bryant teaches Art 1 and 2 to high school students at Bloomington High School in California. She likes to work with teenagers because she sees how beneficial art is in helping them to deal with each day. Her hope is to eventually start an art therapy program much like one that is running successfully in Miami, Florida. In the meantime, she continues to create her art and become more involved in the Southern California art scene.
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