Trena Tackitt

Trena Tackitt

Born in Jackson, Wyoming

Lives and works in Kansas

I honestly don’t know why or when I first became interested in art. I have always enjoyed drawing and creating things, but before enrolling at UW, I had never taken an art class in my life. I was absolutely terrified at the thought of being surround by a bunch of “veteran” art students, and was sure that I would be eaten alive. After taking my first drawing class, however, I realized that the art world wasn’t nearly as scary as I had imagined, and that this was definitely something I wanted to do with my life. What I didn’t expect was how much my perspective would change. Studying art gives you a pair of eyes you can never learn to unsee with, so that everything becomes, in a strange way, interesting or beautiful. 

​

I have a very eclectic range of interests, so it is difficult to pinpoint or summarize what I am particularly interested in or influenced by when it comes to art, but I think much of what I make is linked to my love of languages and storytelling. Art it is a visual language, and is accessible to everyone regardless of his or her linguistic background. This makes it an excellent medium for storytelling, or for communicating ideas that are difficult to portray in speech. I think most of what I do could be summarized with "huh, that's a funny thought".

For me, art a meditative process that gives me a chance to process ideas and narratives though a creative outlet. Sometimes art allows one to say things that words cannot. I also love doing portraits and experimenting with colors. While it’s a little corny, I especially enjoy creating things just to make people laugh or smile, or to remind them that there is still goodness in the world, which I think is something we all need more of. 

I enjoy working in both 3D and 2D, and my some of my favorite mediums include paper clay, oil or acrylic paint, soft pastels, and traditional graphite.

​