It is so exciting to hear and see the work of our amazing Canvas Corp Brands Crew. The support, the positive energy, the smiles and the creativity blow us away everyday. It is also so fun to see what the Crew will come up with next and Crew member Tracy Sagriff loves to try new things and we love to see what she will come up with next. Tracy has used her art in so many ways, from teaching students of all ages, inspiring fans online to making special memories for foster children who did not even have photos of themselves. Art can do special things that we don’t realize and we love stories that show when art truly makes a difference in someone’s lives.
Where do you reside? Shannonville, Ontario, Canada – The area that I live in is very small. We just got our first stop light and it is not being turned on until October. We are is just north of the Mohawk Territory so it is largely influenced by their culture. They hold a wonderful pow wow each year. Also, Ecstasy Crafts is right around the corner from me, so I am lucky enough to be able to view their beautiful parchment crafts in person.
Home of the Shannonville Motorsport Park
Describe your design style….For me it has to be shabby chic, vintage and the more ruffles the better.
We asked each Crew member to show off their design style in a mini art piece. This tiny 4″x4″ canvas is all that is needed to express so much. Roses, pearls, vintage pieces, a cross and a bit of lace…..Grandma’s Tea Cups in art.
Who or what do you give credit to inspiring your creativity? I was very fortunate to have an extremely eccentric art teacher in high school. He taught me to create what made me happy, not necessarily what everyone else thought was correct. Even now when I think of the class I can remember his zany jokes and fabulous bow ties.
What inspires you most today? Honestly, my inspiration nowadays comes from all the wonderful artists I follow on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. I am constantly amazed at the talents of women such as Gabrielle Pollocka, Kathy Orta King, Claire Caudle. I love being able to see something online and be able to just message the artist to find out how something was done. Can you imagine being able to tap DaVinci on the shoulder and ask what Mona Lisa is smiling about. We live in an amazing era.
What is your favorite Canvas Corp Brand Product? and why? Just one please!!!! I honestly love it all, but I will always be a Tattered Angels Girl at heart. It was one of the first products that I started to collect. I would scour every scrapbook store to see if they had a color I was missing. Everything is more beautiful with a spritz of color.
What are some of your favorite projects you have created with Canvas Corp Brands Products?
Do you teach and if so tell us a bit about what you teach, where you go and some of your favorite places? I love to teach. We have a twice monthly group that meets at my home studio in Shannonville, as well as, teaching whenever possible at our local library and a few seniors residences. One of my favorite places that I have taught at is at the tiny Catholic school in Read, Ontario where my good friend and fellow paper crafting fanatic Yvonne Comeau-Sexsmith and I started a girl’s group several years ago. The thought of inspiring the next generation of artists is very rewarding.
I am the happiest doing…..This year I have started really getting into mixed media. Give me a pile of ribbon and lace, some gesso, a canvas and my tattered angels and I am in heaven.
My favorite place to be creative…..My husband created a wonderful bright studio for me to work in. I can spend a whole day immersed in a project and not even realize the time has passed. Everything in the space makes me feel like creating something new.
Tell us one cool detail about your studio or craft space… When choosing the color for my studio, I posted the color chips on Facebook and let my fans choose.
Tell us one thing fun about you we might not know….Everyone thinks that I am very conservative and proper, but they are shocked to find out that I played World of Warcraft for over a decade. My husband started playing the second day it was launched and I started a couple of weeks later. My favorite character was my mage Nightingale.
Share with us anything about your creative life that you feel would inspire others….My family fostered more than 45 children in our early marriage. Many of the children that came to us had absolutely no pictures of themselves, their families or their life really. Each of those children were given a scrapbook of their time in our home. We have had so many kids come back and tell us how much those books have meant to them. Imagine that, scrapbooking helped to create a sense of identity for children that had none. That has been a pretty powerful motivator for me. Watching my three chosen children pour over their life books reminds me constantly how important documenting our lives is.
Tracy thank you for inspiring us to make a difference with our art and to try new things. To learn more about Tracy stop by her blog – My Grandmas Tea Cups – Instagram – Facebook
Happy Creating!!!
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'Featured Crew Member: Tracy Sagriff' have 3 comments
August 31, 2016 @ 1:34 pm Jean Marmo
Love reading more about Tracy! Love her work!
August 31, 2016 @ 3:20 pm Kyriakos
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September 4, 2016 @ 9:26 pm michele s
i loved learning more about Tracy. her style is delightful; she is a wonderful artist! xo