Born and Raised in New Orleans La, USA, Craig Tracy has always been an artist. Craig credits New Orleans with its authentic and vibrant culture as a significant factor in what is at the heart of his passion, creativity and bliss. As a child, Craig’s loving parents nurtured his creative development. They also gave him the gift of freedom to mature as an absolute individual. His parents were living in a special time, in a place filled with radical changes.
Categorized best as working class hippies, their nonconformist principles were instilled firmly in the young artist. It’s safe to say that “Flower Power” and “Power To The People” are vastly responsible for his unique perspective on art and life. Coincidentally, it was that same hippie movement that reignited the soon-to-be interest in and practice of Bodypainting in the western world.
“It really clicked, from the very first time that I painted a face, it was strangely powerful. I later realized that I had quiet literally fallen in love with Bodypainting. It did however take me years to properly process and respect such an uncharted and ancient art form. It was similar to how people don’t take things seriously because they have no example to follow.
Craig was at this point feverishly enthralled with the idea of becoming a fine art Bodypainter. He researched by searching, or rather surfing the web with a renewed passion that surprised even him! He also started collecting Bodypainted images from other artists that he respected and admired. “I wanted this work to surround me in my daily life. I found tremendous inspiration from having these images hanging in my home, beautifully framed and displayed in the majority of my living space. If I were to expect that others would purchase my images then I should have the respect to collect this beautiful work as well.”
His collecting of images was soon followed by his first serious creation of images. These painting, his first series of bodypaintings, “The Nature Series” a collection of fifteen unique images were very well received. Certain images from his nature series have become iconic, as they are visually, emotionally and creatively relevant.
