Denver Area Artist, Tracy Lynn Pristas, Receives a “Direct Purchase of Artwork” Award from the Montana State Arts Council

Littleton, CO (PRWEB) March 06, 2014

For over 20 years, self-taught artist Tracy Lynn Pristas has made her mark exhibiting and selling her abstract landscape paintings throughout the United States. As a recent transplant to the Denver area from Chicago, she is proud to have cemented her presence “out west” with an award from the Montana State Arts Council. Out of the 146 artists that responded to a national call for visual artists, Pristas was one of two artists selected by the committee for a “direct purchase award”. Pristas’ application was ranked high enough by the selection committee that, rather than continue with the extended proposal process, they will purchase a 48 x 48 original oil painting directly out of her existing inventory. The selected painting will be displayed prominently in the newly renovated Gaines Hall at Montana State University. Three semi-finalists were chosen to provide further proposals for entry-foyer sculptural artwork.

Much like the balance Pristas applies to her nuanced life as a pragmatic, business-minded professional artist with that of also being a certified yoga instructor and Reiki practitioner (a Japanese system for channeling universal life force energy to someone or something for the purpose of healing), her large-scale paintings are inspired by realistic images of nature that fade into abstraction. The luxurious textures and distinct techniques she uses in her original oils have caught the eyes of not only collectors and gallery owners nationwide, but also Hollywood set designers and hospital administrators. Her paintings have been featured on the Lifetime TV, hit series "Drop Dead Diva," and in the 2006 movie "The Breakup", starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. Last year, the Florida facility of the respected Mayo Clinic and Denver’s Exempla St. Joe’s was added to the list of hospitals that display her soothing works of art.

Pristas is a prolific painter and works hard to quell the notion that artists must struggle to survive. Her strong work ethic and proactive marketing techniques ensures her continued success and ability to thrive, regardless of economic conditions. Her next solo exhibition, Endorsed Visions, will be at Artwork Network in Denver from September 5–October 2,2014.

The call for artists for Gaines Hall was part of Montana’s "Percent for Art Program." Of the amount appropriated by the state for spending in new state buildings, 1% is to be used by the Montana Arts Council for the acquisition of art for display in them. The renovated building will provide state-of-the-art instructional labs for undergraduate students in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, earth sciences, and physics.

Tracy recently relocated to Littleton, Colorado, after 17 years in Chicago where she maintained a professional painting studio along the city’s Ravenswood industrial corridor next to the elevated train. She now enjoys the relative calm and quiet of her life near the foothills.

For information visit http://www.painterpristas.com.

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